Welcome to Diseasemouth.com. The purpose of this website is to provide general information about diseases of the mouth, symptoms, and treatment to the reader. Maxillofacial and oral diseases are a specialty of dentistry which non surgically treats diseases that occur around the neck and head area.
Patients who have mouth diseases can be seen by a variety of doctors, but maxillofacial and oral is the one and only specialty of medicine or dentistry that concentrates specifically on the diagnosis, both microscopically and clinically, and non surgical treatment of diseases that affect the mouth. Usually, general dentists treat problems with the teeth while specialists that are called periodontists treat periodontal, or gum, diseases.
There are many problems that can affect the mouth and surrounding areas which are caused by gum disease and cavities are the most common mouth disorders. These diseases can be very confusing to a doctor who has not been trained to recognize their frequently subtle distinguishing features. On the other hand, the maxillofacial and oral pathologist is taught to recognize these subtle differences and make the most appropriate diagnosis. In some cases, diagnosis may require a biopsy or other tests to supplement or confirm the clinical findings. After the correct diagnosis is made, the correct treatment can be recommended.
Some of the diseases that could be evaluated by an oral pathologist may include:
• Canker sores.
• Burning mouth syndrome.
• Cold sores.
• Smokeless tobacco keratosis.
• Geographic tongue.
• Leukoplakia.
• Lichen planus.
Usually, the types of conditions seen by maxillofacial and oral pathologists include autoimmune disorders and diseases of the salivary glands, tumors of the jawbones and soft tissues of the mouth, and fungal and viral infections.
Since the maxillofacial and oral pathologist’s specialty is mouth diseases, they are usually able to determine the proper diagnosis with a minimal amount of diagnostic testing and more quickly than other practitioners. This usually allows the patient to receive proper therapy more cost effectively and earlier. Many mouth diseases are caused by viruses. As a result, there is no specific treatment ordered to treat this example of a common mouth disease. Specific symptoms, however, can be treated, by an appropriate specialist. Thrush is an common example of mouth disease. This is an oral yeast infection that affects adults as well as children. Yeast is normally present in a person’s mouth and if the levels are normal, there is no cause for concern.
Another common mouth disease is gingivitis. This condition causes the gums to bleed and swell. However, there are other factors that my increase your risk of developing this disease including; Substance abuse, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and even the hormonal changes present during pregnancy have been linked to gingivitis.
