Mouth pain with red gums.

Volume 90, Number 9 www.aafp.org/afp American Family Physician 653 A 74-year-old man presented with pain in his mouth. The pain had been present for a few months but had recently increased in intensity. He had not had recent dental work and did not see a dentist regularly. He did not have a history of oral, head, or neck surgery. He did not have fever, chills, swelling of the face or neck, or discharge or drainage from the area. On physical examination there was diffuse erythema of the gums with mild edema and tenderness. The patient had thick deposits at the gum line that could not be wiped off. There were areas of erythema, gum recession, and increased movement of the teeth. There was pain when moving the teeth. There was no purulence, facial edema, or lymphadenopathy.