74 Where There Is No Dentist 2012
2. Are the gums healthy?
Look at page 52 and compare the pictures of healthy and unhealthy gums.
Unhealthy gums often are red and they bleed when you touch them.
A bubble on the gums below the tooth
is a clear sign that the person has an
abscess. The abscess may be from the
tooth, or it may be from the gums. To
decide, look carefully at both the tooth
and the gum around it.
A bubble beside a healthy tooth is a sign of
infected gums. Scale the tooth carefully. See
Chapter 8.
A bubble beside a decayed tooth is a sign of
a tooth abscess. (See page 93.)
A sore on the gums from a badly decayed
tooth appears when a gum bubble breaks
open and lets out the pus from inside.
GUM BUBBLE
3. Are there any sores?
Look for sores under the smooth skin on the inside of the lips and
cheeks. Look also under the tongue and along its sides.
1. A sore on the
gums may be
from an infected
tooth (p. 93).
2. Sores on the inside
of the lip or cheek
may be from a
virus (p. 104).
3. Sores on the
lips or tongue
may may be
cancer (p. 125).
After your examination, tell the person what you have found. If you notice
a problem starting, explain what to do to prevent it from getting worse. If
there are no problems and the mouth is healthy, congratulate the person.
Share your knowledge—explain things to people.
Help them Iearn how they can prevent and even
manage their own problems with their teeth.