Oral pathology is a specialty in dentistry that focuses on disorders of the mouth and surrounding areas. It is the diagnosis, study, and treatment of disorders affecting your teeth, gums, bones, skin, joints, glands, and muscles. Some common practices include lab testing, clinical examinations, and considering the whole body's health. Pathology is important because if you have an oral concern, we need to know exactly what the condition is so we can treat you appropriately.
Some Oral Diseases
Oral Cancer
Cancer is defined as unregulated cell growth that invades and damages surrounding tissue. Oral cancer is a persistent growth or sore in the mouth. It can include cancers of lips, tongue, throat, and the roof and floor of the mouth. Some of the common symptoms include swelling, thickening, lumps, unexplained bleeding, or even loss of sensation in the mouth. Some people also experience difficulty while chewing, swallowing, or speaking. Some causes of oral cancer include excess tobacco usage and alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure, or having a family history of oral cancer.
Oral Cysts and Lesions
In the oral cavity and jaw, a wide range of benign and malignant pathologic lesions can develop. These lesions can appear on or within the soft and hard tissues of the mouth. It may occur in soft tissue in the mucosa, salivary glands, muscle, nerves, and lymph tissue. In hard tissue, cysts or lesions may occur in the bone or teeth. The exact cause for the occurrence of lesions is unknown; however, some factors that may trigger pathologic lesions are traumas, infections, tobacco usage, alcohol consumption, genetics, and even congenital causes.
Black Hairy Tongue
This condition is not what it sounds like. What happens is that dead skin cells get collected on the tongue's surface, making it look longer than usual. The tongue's surface gets easily stained, resulting in black coloring. Symptoms include a change in taste, bad breath, and a tickling sensation. This condition is mainly caused due to poor oral hygiene, excessive alcohol or tobacco consumption, or having a dry mouth.
Diagnosis and Treatment
An oral pathologist diagnoses such oral conditions using advanced imaging devices such as x-rays, MRI scans, or CT scans, whichever is required. After gathering all the necessary diagnostic information, our dentists and surgeons prepare an optimal treatment plan for their patients. Treatment plans are designed as per the patient's condition and how they prefer to get the treatment.
Why is Oral Pathology Important?
When things go wrong in your mouths, such as irritation, sensitivity, or bleeding, oral pathology can help you find out the answers. Oral pathology is important in dental care because it helps us to rapidly detect symptoms and provide appropriate treatment when there is a problem.
Please reach out to All Smile Dental in Turlock, CA, to have a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Singh. Please Call our Dentist in Turlock, CA at (209) 668-3736 or Dentist in Modesto, CA at (209) 409-8839.
