Mayo Clinic Health Manager
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By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of trench mouth can include:
- Severe gum pain
- Bleeding from gums when pressed even slightly
- Red or swollen gums
- Pain when eating or swallowing
- A gray film on your gums
- Crater-like sores (ulcers) between your teeth and on your gums
- A foul taste in your mouth
- Bad breath
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes around your head, neck or jaw
When to see a dentist
Trench mouth symptoms can develop quickly. See your dentist immediately if you develop any symptoms. Often, these may be symptoms of a gum problem other than trench mouth, such as gingivitis or periodontitis. But all forms of gum disease can be serious, and most tend to get worse without treatment. The sooner you seek care, the better your chance of returning your gums to a healthy state and preventing loss of teeth and the destruction of bone or other tissue.