[Acute necrotizing-ulcerative gingivitis in young men]

Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis is a disease in which the bacilli of the flora normally found in the buccal cavity (fusiform bacilli and spirochetae) play a role. This type of gingivitis occurs relatively frequently in young men. The frequency of the disease tends to peak in the winter. We examined 72 young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, fever and swelling of the regional lymph nodes for possible noxas. All of the individuals were smokers: approximately 3/4s of the group smoked more than 60 cigarettes per day. Roughly half of the individuals examined showed extremely poor oral hygiene or underlying psychological or physical stress at the onset of the disease. Dentitio difficilis and alcohol abuse however appeared to be less important factors. Symptomatic measures, such as mouthwash and oral hygiene, proved to be effective therapy. Diseases and disorders of internal structures of the body could not be diagnosed in any of these individuals.