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Trench mouth
- Vincent's stomatitis
Prevention
The best way to prevent gum disease is with good oral hygiene — brushing
and flossing your teeth at least twice a day or as often as your dentist
recommends and periodic professional cleaning to help prevent the
buildup of plaque and tartar. The following suggestions also can help:
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Brush and floss
properly.
Your dentist or dental hygienist can show you the
most effective way to brush and floss your teeth. In general, place
your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gums and gently
move the brush back and forth, using short strokes. Brush the entire
tooth — the outer, inner and chewing surfaces. A brush with soft,
end-rounded bristles is usually best. Because worn toothbrushes
don't clean effectively and may injure your gums, replace your
toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.
-
When you floss,
hold the floss taut and bent around each tooth in a "C" shape and
gently rub each side of every tooth. Each stroke should go slightly
below your gumline until you feel resistance. Flossing removes
plaque between your teeth and helps massage your gums.
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Stop smoking or
chewing tobacco.
In addition to
contributing to a number of serious illnesses — including
cardiovascular disease, emphysema, and cancers of the mouth, voice
box (larynx), esophagus, lung, stomach, pancreas, and kidneys —
smoking radically alters the balance of bacteria in your mouth and
is a leading factor in the development of trench mouth. Ask your
doctor about the many options available for people trying to quit.
-
Eat a healthy
diet.
Good nutrition can help prevent trench mouth. A healthy diet
includes five or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables, along
with six daily servings of foods from other plant sources such as
breads, cereals, rice and beans. If you eat meat, choose lean cuts
and emphasize chicken, fish and low-fat dairy foods.
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Learn to manage
stress.
Because stress takes both a physical and an emotional
toll, learning to manage it is essential for your overall
well-being. Some people find that regular exercise helps defuse
stress. Others turn to relaxation techniques such as deep breathing,
yoga and tai chi. Still others meditate, listen to music, hike or
garden. If none of these approaches work for you, you may want to
talk to your doctor about biofeedback — a technique that uses
technology to teach you to produce positive changes in certain body
responses.
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