Diagnosis and Biopsy
- Thorough medical, dental, social, and psychological history is essential for diagnosis.
- Clinical investigation of extra-oral and intra-oral tissues is necessary.
- Differential diagnosis helps determine further investigations needed.
- Screening tests, imaging, and histopathology are used for diagnosis.
- Imaging techniques include radiographs, CBCT, CT, MRI, and ultrasound.
- Biopsy is performed when clinical presentation or imaging studies are inconclusive.
- It involves the surgical removal of tissue for microscopic examination.
- Biopsies can be done under local anesthesia or image guidance.
- Types of biopsies used include excisional, incisional, and exfoliative cytology.
- Oral and maxillofacial pathology biopsies involve tissues such as mucosa, bone, and lymph nodes.
Diseases
- Oral and maxillofacial pathology affects various tissues in the head region.
- Different diseases have different outcomes and affect the mouth, jaws, and orofacial skin.
- Pathologies include congenital, inflammatory, neoplastic, and infectious diseases.
- Examples of diseases are odontogenic cysts, oral cancer, and salivary gland disorders.
- The list of pathologies is extensive and not exhaustive.
Congenital Conditions
- Malocclusion is a common congenital disorder affecting the alignment of teeth.
- Cleft lip and palate is a multi-factorial disorder occurring in 1 in 500-1000 live births.
- People with cleft lip and palate may experience social and psychological challenges.
- Surgical reconstruction aims to improve social acceptance in cleft patients.
- Macroglossia is tongue enlargement, which can have various causes and consequences.
- Ankyloglossia, Stafne defect, Torus palatinus, Torus mandibularis, and Eagle syndrome are other congenital conditions.
Acquired Conditions
- Vascular, infective, bacterial, periodontal, and scarlet fever are examples of acquired conditions.
- Viral infections include herpes simplex, mumps, recurrent infections, and infections in immunocompromised individuals.
- Fungal infections include oral candidiasis and other fungal infections in the mouth.
- Traumatic conditions can be caused by chemical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical trauma.
- Autoimmune conditions include Sjögren syndrome, which has different types and associated complications.
- Metabolic conditions include inflammatory conditions, angioedema, neurological disorders, and neoplastic conditions like oral cancer.
Specialty and Geographic Variation
- Oral and maxillofacial pathology is a specialty in dentistry and pathology.
- Specialists diagnose and study diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions.
- Oral pathology is closely allied with oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine.
- Biopsies are taken for microscopic evaluation by pathologists.
- Oral and maxillofacial pathologists may also have responsibilities in forensic odontology.
- In the UK, there are approximately 30 consultant oral and maxillofacial pathologists.
- Dental degree is mandatory, but a medical degree is not required.
- Many oral and maxillofacial pathologists in the UK are clinical academics.
- They are employed by dental or medical schools and work at university hospital departments.
Oral and maxillofacial pathology refers to the diseases of the mouth ("oral cavity" or "stoma"), jaws ("maxillae" or "gnath") and related structures such as salivary glands, temporomandibular joints, facial muscles and perioral skin (the skin around the mouth). The mouth is an important organ with many different functions. It is also prone to a variety of medical and dental disorders.
| Oral and maxillofacial pathology | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Oral pathology, stomatognathic disease, dental disease, mouth disease |
| Specialty | Dentistry |
The specialty oral and maxillofacial pathology is concerned with diagnosis and study of the causes and effects of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. It is sometimes considered to be a specialty of dentistry and pathology. Sometimes the term head and neck pathology is used instead, which may indicate that the pathologist deals with otorhinolaryngologic disorders (i.e. ear, nose and throat) in addition to maxillofacial disorders. In this role there is some overlap between the expertise of head and neck pathologists and that of endocrine pathologists.
