Kind regards. This week I became very ill with the flu and I can see that it has affected my teeth... It started with swelling of the gum between the upper right central and lateral incisors. A day later it spread to the right canine and from there all the way to the left canine in the upper jaw, including the central and lateral incisors. The next day, when I woke up and wanted to brush my teeth, my upper gum started burning badly. When I looked more closely in the mirror, I saw that the edge of the gum had lifted away from the teeth and started bleeding. I would like to know what procedures this requires and what the waiting time is, given that everything is spreading quickly, and if you could also explain the reasons why this occurs. Thank you very much.

Dear Sir/Madam!

The systemic processes in the body that you describe can significantly alter the immune response in the oral cavity as well, so certain disease conditions may coincide in time. Judging from what you have written, this is acute gingivitis, i.e. inflammation of the gums, which is certainly not caused by the flu alone, but has probably been smouldering for years as chronic inflammation (periodontal disease) and, because of its advanced form, has flared up due to the circumstances described above. First, the stage of periodontal disease must be determined (panoramic X-ray), and the underlying disease then treated accordingly (oral-hygiene instruction, removal of calculus, root scaling and planing, surgical procedures...). Given the clinical picture described, aphthae could perhaps also be causing the problem.

Have a nice day!