Dental Problems Oral Hygene?

[303man]

I have several Group photos in my collection in nearly all cases at least one or 2 men appear with puffy lower jaws (No Botox then) is this a general dentistry/oral hygene problem or something more diet.

Photo 1 soldier second row second from right

[303man]

Second picture Gunners this time both men kneeling right and left. Interestingly the inscription on the 303 ammo box in chalk reads WE ARE READY FOR ACTION look like RGA from the shoulder titles and taken in a Fort somewhere in UK

[303man]

Right hand gunner enhanced can you see what I mean by the appearance of their mouths

[NIGEL]

Its definitly the first time i have heard this, the one man may have just been caught in that facial pose, i suppose if his teeth were that bad that his face had been distorted that way, he would have been in complete agony and got his mate to do the business, The second bloke i cant see anything wrong with him other than he isnt in the George Clooney pack, probably like the rest of us.

[robbie]

Yes, I can. How painful that must be?

Robbie

[NIGEL]

See what you mean on the 3rd pic, but surely to be that bad he would be in sheer agony

[303man]

And the Gunner on the left. On closer inspection with a glass the gunner back row second from right also has the same appearance.

[robbie]

Could it be trench mouth?

Robbie

http://www.dentalfind.com/glossary/trench_mouth.html

Trench Mouth, or Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (ANUG), is a highly painful form of gingivitis, or gum inflammation. Under normal conditions, a balance of microorganisms fills the mouth. An overabundance of normal mouth bacteria leads to gum infection. If this gum infection leads to ulcers, mucousy legions in the mouth, the sufferer is said to have Trench Mouth. The condition got its name from World War One, when this form of gingivitis was rampant among soldiers in trenches.

Poor oral hygiene, improper nutrition, smoking, emotional stress, and other mouth infections can all put you at risk for trench mouth. The disorder is rare, most often affecting people aged 35 and under. Symptoms tend to occur suddenly, and can include:

Pain in the gums Bleeding gums Red, swollen gums Grayish film on gums Deep ulcers between the teeth Foul taste and odour in mouth Fever

The condition of the gums and the presence of ulcers will indicate to your dentist that trench mouth is a possiblity. X-rays can confirm the diagnosis. Treatment can include antibiotics, rinsing with hydrogen peroxide to remove decayed gum tissue, painkillers and soothing rinses to ease irritation and discomfort, and a thorough cleaning by your dentist. All potential irritants, such as smoking and spicy foods, must be avoided during treatment. Once treatment is complete, proper oral hygiene is a mandatory measure in preventing a relapse.

[303man]

Another from the same photo the guy on his left is borderline for the same condition.

[303man]

Possibly but the First picture of the RE's was taken 1908

[NIGEL]

And a good gas mask if you are standing near

[Max]

The men in question look to be chewing tobacco rather than be suffering from some jaw mutating disease.

Andy

[303man]

Baccy chewing had crossed my mind, was it common around the early 1900's

[robbie]

It never occurred to me...too smart you boys

[Max]

Baccy chewing had crossed my mind, was it common around the early 1900's

It was very prevalent amongst coal miners who, of course, were not allowed to smoke down the mines. Both my grandfather and his dad (see signature) chewed when they were down the pit.

Andy

[DrB]

Bilateral swelling is very uncommon with oral abcesses from infected teeth. Generally, with ANUG, Acute Necotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis, (Trench Mouth) the soft tissue doesn't swell.

Saw a lot of it in 'Nam, poor guys breath smelled like h... and they were in a "hurt locker" but didn't swell.

'Twoud venture a guess of a "chew" and maybe a mouth full of saliva which they couldn't expectorate because of the camera.

DrB

[J T Gray]

Never having done so I can't comment on the chewing tobacco. However a few years ago now I had a wisdom tooth come through, then pause. This left a flap of gum over the tooth that the toothbrush just couldn't get under and obviously something nasty got under it...

Anyway, the end result was extremely painful, I couldn't breath properly, was constantly dribbling, felt like death warmed up and lost half a stone due to eating soup for a week., Oh, and it took a dose of antibiotics more fitted to a horse to clear it up. No doubt my breath smelt like a dogs bum too, but I didn't really care about anything except not feeling like crepe anymore.

I can't belive that you'd get that many chaps in pictures with anything like that. They'd surely look ill - it's grim stuff to have.

I go for chewing something...

Adrian

[DrB]

Yep, pericornitis is a real bear to treat. Generally penicillin and warm salt water rinses until the infection (unilateral) subsides. Then extraction.

We did a lot of that on sailors who were assisned submarine duty. Prevention instead of treatment. All the third molars were taken. Heck, no one chews grass anymore anyway for its nutritional value, so we don't need em.

DrB

[Derek Robertson]

We must remember that at the time of the Great War people generally had poor teeth (both because of diet and lack of oral hygiene).

On enlistment a large number of soldiers underwent possibly their first dentistry.

One such soldier was the famous Hawick and Scotland rugby internationalist Walter Sutherland who had ALL his uppers pulled by his mid 20's.

This is why his photographs never show him smiling openly.

[robbie]

Derek,

Didn't they make falsies in those days?

Robbie

[NIGEL]

Dental hygine has always been one of the myths of history and was helped in clearing up the facts by none other than the Monty Python team on doing research for one of their films.

It was always assumed that until very recently everybody had hardly any teeth and if they did they were either black or very rotten. In fact most people's teeth, bearing in mind the ages that they lived to, would have been perfectly ok/acceptable and certainly not blackened until the arrival of sugar from I think the West Indies. Where it became fashionable and all other things to chew sugar cane and take sugar as much as what you could afford with everything with obvious following results.

Whether sugar was still expensive even for normal people and whether it was able to be supplied to the troops in quantities I dont know, but I know my mom used to tell me that when she was younger that some women would have their teeth removed before they got married so not to burden the spouse with expensive dental work. Whether this was common in those days aswell, obviously before my mom's time, I dont know. But I do know that if you took the sugar out of the diet in all forms that there would probably be no tooth decay at all as it is the sugar reacting with bacteria which forms the acids which causes tooth decay. Not brushing your teeth with odd bit of food stuck in for the odd day would certainly not rot your teeth but it wont gain you any friends either.

[Kath]

FALSE TEETH.

It is recorded that some survivors of theRoyal Edward were sent home as they had lost their false teeth.

Many vomited while in the sea.

There were many men aged around 40 - not thought young at that time.

Kath

[DirtyDick]

British submariners during WW1 were renowned for having poor dental health, despite a rigorous physical and dental examination before they entered the Service to limit the possibility of such problems cropping up whilst at sea.

One captain thought that less than 5% brushed their teeth whilst at sea and, coupled with endemic constipation whilst at sea due to poor food, a sedentary lifestyle and inadequate toilets, their breath was appalling. I believe this same captain suffered from pyorriah (sp. ?), blamed it on eating too much tinned food and had his dentist bill the Admiralty.

Additionally, since most COs banned smoking whilst submerged to conserve air, submariners often took to using chewing tobacco, no doubt improving their breath.

Richard

[burlington]

I remember my father who had no teeth at all. Pre WW2 the thing was to give children some acidic 'medicine' to cure childhood ills, I can't remember what it was. The end result was- all his teeth were removed!

At the time, false teeth may have been better than during WW1 period but I assume that there may have been many children who lost their teeth due to parental mis-dosing or otherwise neglect during that period.

[robbie]

Cod liver oil was popular.

Robbie