Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and maxillofacial pathology also known as oral pathology is a branch of dentistry in which the diagnosis and study of the causes and effects of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial region or mouth, jaws, face, salivary glands and related structures is done.Oral pathology is also a closely allied specialty with oral surgery and oral medicine.
The inside lining of your mouth is usually pink and smooth; if there is any change in its color or texture like white or red patches, lumps, bumps, sores that bleed easily and take longer time to heal, thickening inside your mouth or any other abnormality it might signal a pathology and might be a sign of an underlying disease as serious as cancer.
Patients who might have certain conditions or symptoms can be referred to the department of oral pathology from their general dentist or any other health professional to do a complete oral screening, which also includes reviewing x-rays, performing soft tissue and bone biopsies to properly diagnose an infection, tumor or any other condition or disease.
A biopsy is removal of small piece of a suspicious tissue surgically for its microscopic examination, which are usually taken in the dental office under local anesthesia to determine whether it is in malignant or premalignant stage, or is it due to any virus, bacteria or fungus or if there is any other cause for proper diagnosis and its treatment planning.