What Is Oral Pathology

  Although the main reasons why patients come to dental offices are prophylactic check-ups and dental conditions, for a complex assessment it is also necessary to make a radiological evaluation and an examination of the oral mucosa. Thus, the dentist can have a complete overview of the oral and dental health of each patient.

The basic examination of the oral mucosa can be performed by visual methods, for which all that is needed is good light, a regular consultation kit and a careful dentist, with experience in diagnosing diseases of the oral mucosa. Nowadays, modern technologies have emerged that complement this visual examination. There are devices that use the autofluorescence property of tissues, which can detect areas where increased cellular metabolic activity takes place.

Oral pathology is diverse and complex both in terms of etiology and mechanisms of production, as well as in terms of therapeutic implications and prognosis of diseases that occur at this level.

Problems that an examination may reveal include:

Ø  variable appearance changes considered non-pathological, with no subsequent implications

Ø  infectious diseases (stomatitis, bacterial, viral or fungal infections)

Ø  dermatological diseases with oral manifestations

Ø  oral manifestations of some general diseases

Ø  autoimmune diseases (bullous dermatoses, oral lichen, lupus)

Ø  nonspecific pain syndromes

Ø  premalignant diseases with potential for malignancy (leukoplakia)

Ø  malignancies (oral carcinoma, melanoma)

If patients notice discomfort or the presence of persistent changes at the level of the oral mucosa, the first and most correct option is a visit a Parker oral surgery specialist for a consultation.