Oral medicine and oral pathology are two distinct specialties within the field of dentistry. Oral medicine is the clinical arm of oral pathology and deals with the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries, while oral histopathology is the area of specialty that focuses on the microscopic diagnosis of soft and hard tissue injuries in the head and neck area. Oral medicine (or dental medicine) is a clinical specialty that lies at the interface between dentistry and medicine as a whole. It deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the oral cavity and orofacial tissues.
There is overlap with oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery; however, unlike oral surgeons, oral doctors can have a double degree in medicine and dentistry and, unlike these two surgical disciplines, oral medicine is primarily a clinical (non-surgical) specialty. The specialty usually works closely with oral pathology to diagnose injuries. Oral pathology is a subspecialty of lab-based pathology. Oral pathologists dissect the biopsies that are administered to them and then perform a microscopic examination of the biopsy samples with dyes.
The pathologist then writes a pathology report that describes the histological aspect, suggests a diagnosis, and may decide to recommend treatment. Oral pathologists are especially involved in the staging of oral cancer and premalignant lesions. Many systemic diseases cause oral signs and symptoms. Sometimes, specialized research into these diseases can lead to the diagnosis of systemic patosis.
Oral medicine could also be considered a subspecialty of gastroenterology, since the oral cavity is considered part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Many dermatological conditions can also occur in the oral cavity, sometimes without skin lesions. The sense of taste is also unique to the mouth, which makes oral medicine involved in the differential diagnosis and treatment of dysgeusia (alteration of taste). Finally, there is the unique anatomical situation of hard tissue structures (i.e., teeth) penetrating the epithelial continuity (nails and hair are intraepithelial structures), giving rise to an extensive topic called odontogenic disease.
This includes not only plaque-induced injuries, but also developmental abnormalities (e.g., impacted teeth). For more information, see the Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology pages on Wikipedia. This area will deal with the diagnosis, pathology and treatment of orofacial disorders. While some of the most important anatomical and physiological backgrounds will be discussed, it is wise to review these topics beforehand for more information.Remember, before you can understand the various ways in which the human body can go wrong, it's helpful to understand normality.
Specialties are recognized in those areas where advanced knowledge and skills are essential to maintaining or restoring oral health (the association's policies are contained in the Principles of Ethics and the ADA Code of Professional Conduct). This makes oral medicine the eleventh dental specialty recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA). The oral mucosa is a robust and highly adapted tissue that, at the same time, can be highly susceptible to changes in homeostasis.The NDSE exam in oral medicine and oral pathology will be administered in parts of two or three hours of equal weight. Deregulation of the immune system, alterations in cellular signaling pathways or exogenous stimuli can cause a series of strange and wonderful oral injuries.
Oral medicine has always been aimed at medically complex patients and those with systemic diseases affecting oral tissues.Most skin diseases affecting the oral cavity are clinically diagnosed, but some conditions affecting oral tissues appear very similar. A link to the sample files will be sent to you once you have applied and identified oral medicine and oral pathology or oral pathology as your specialty.Terry Rees and I have had the privilege of creating and facilitating the International Oral Lichen Support Group (IOLPSG),10 which has the support of the Department of Periodontics and the Stomatology Center of the School of Dentistry of the University A&M of Texas, School of Dentistry, Center for Health Sciences. Oral medicine clinics and other programs, staffed by dentists trained and certified in oral medicine, operate throughout the United States.Oral medicine encompasses many disciplines besides dentistry, including medicine and subgroups within each discipline. Oral pathologists care for patients as well as examine tissue samples (biopsies) prepared at university clinics (Laval University, University of Montreal, McGill University).
In conclusion, it is important to understand that while both oral pathology and oral medicine are related fields within dentistry, they have distinct roles when it comes to diagnosing and treating orofacial disorders...
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