What Is Trench Mouth?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
4. Causes
The human mouth normally contains many different species of bacteria. Usually, they exist harmlessly and do not cause any trouble. However, in the absence of oral hygiene to keep them in check, certain species of bacteria can become overgrown. When this occurs, they can cause an infection that results in trench mouth.
There are three species of bacteria that can contribute to trench mouth. Borrelia vincentii is a spirochete, which means that it has a coiled, spiral shape. Bacillus fusiformis is spindle-shaped, wide in the middle but tapering at either end. Prevotella intermedia is a rod-shaped bacterium that plays a role in other periodontal diseases besides trench mouth.
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