What Is Oral Pathology And Why Is It Important

Oral Pathology

People often wonder what to do in case of a dental emergency. Naturally, if someone has a broken tooth, that will be easy to spot, but some other conditions are trickier to notice in the early stages. That is why you need to know more about oral pathology and ways to improve your health before it’s too late.

Those in need of a quick solution can always visit an emergency dental care at aurafamilydentist.com and see if there is a way to solve the problem. Now, let’s take a closer look at oral pathology, what its goal is, and how it can help you with oral health problems.

What Is Oral Pathology?

So, what is oral pathology? Oral pathology is the older name for a specialty that focuses on studying the causes and potential effects of oral diseases. According to this reliable Dentist in Murray Hill today, the specialty goes by the name oral and maxillofacial pathology, and it studies mouth and jaw-related illnesses.

Oral pathology covers diagnosis, and it also studies potential causes and how these diseases might affect one’s oral health. Some people believe it to be a part of dentistry, but it is a separate specialty.

Of course, each disease can have a different diagnostics method, and it is impossible to have a universal method of discovering what type of problem a patient has.

What Are Common Oral Diseases?

There are four most common types of oral diseases that can affect the mouth, teeth, bones, gums, joints, muscles, and skin around someone’s mouth. All of these parts are covered by oral pathology. So, let’s start from the beginning.

Herpes Simplex

Herpes is one of the most common oral diseases in the world, and it is caused by the HSV-1 virus, or herpes simplex type 1. This version of herpes is highly contagious, and scientists believe that over 60% of the population has it. There are numerous ways to transmit herpes, and these methods include anything from sharing utensils to kissing since it can easily spread via saliva and skin-to-skin contact.

In some cases, herpes can be asymptomatic, but that won’t stop the virus from spreading. As for the symptoms, they usually include burning or itching sensation around lips, painful blisters, and even sores on genitalia.

One of the main problems is that many people get this virus as children, and there is no treatment. The virus usually goes away on its own after a couple of weeks.

Thrush

Thrush is a common name for candidiasis, a fungal infection caused by a type of yeast. Among the main symptoms are soreness and white patches across the tongue and throat. It is not often that this type of infection will spread to other parts of the body. If you experience problems with thrush, you should know that the treatment will not be a problem.

Usually, the infection is a sign of an underlying problem, and the doctor will focus on treating that. In addition, you might get a prescription for antifungal medicine as well. People with diabetes and dentures may have higher chances of getting candidiasis. Moreover, those that are using corticosteroids, prednisone, and other medications that can affect the balance of microorganisms may also be affected by this condition.

Black Hairy Tongue

The next one on the list is the black hairy tongue. This is a condition that looks exactly as it sounds. Small bumps will appear on the tongue, and the discoloration will cause them to appear brown or black. Since this probably sounds quite scary to you, you should know that this condition is completely harmless.

There are a few reasons why someone might get a black hairy tongue. Smokers, people with dry mouths, those focusing on a soft diet, and poor hygiene can often lead to this condition. As for the treatment, the simplest solution would be to work on improving oral hygiene. This includes brushing and scraping the tongue.

Oral Cancer

The next thing on the list is oral cancer. One of the primary causes of this form of cancer is HPV, and heavy drinkers and smokers have an increased chance of developing it as well. The best way to lower the chances is to completely stop smoking or consuming alcohol and focus on your health.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is commonly known as gum disease, and it is usually caused by bacteria. If gums are affected, it can lead to numerous problems with teeth. It is also one of the most common oral pathology diseases.

Sudden toothache can point to a gum disease problem, and the simplest way to avoid problems is to focus on eliminating the conditions that may lead to a tooth emergency. If the problem is left untreated, it can cause further damage and lead to tooth loss, chipped tooth, and other similar issues.

What Can You Do?

The type of treatment you will need mostly depends on the condition. It can vary from oral hygiene improvements to chemotherapy. There is no universal solution that will help you avoid all types of oral health problems.

If you are in pain, the smartest thing to do is seek emergency dental services, and the dentist or oral pathologist will be able to tell you more about the condition and your options.

Of course, the best scenario would be to minimize the risk and do everything in your power to prevent these conditions from happening. That includes regular brushing, visiting your dentist every couple of months, and focusing on oral health.

If all that fails, an emergency dentist will be your best option. A knocked-out tooth is hard to miss, but some of these conditions can manifest at a later stage, which is why it’s ideal to visit the dentist frequently, too, to avoid potential problems in the future.

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