Oral Pathology

By: Calllan Meskimen

 What is Oral Pathology?

 A specialty of dentistry that focuses on

oral disease in the maxillofacial and oral
cavity.

 Oral pathology studies each disease, the

etiology and how it effects the oral cavity
and body.

 When describing oral pathology dentists

and dental hygienists usually refer the
pathology as a lesion.
 A lesion is the wound or area that has been
damaged due to oral pathology
 Causes of Oral
Pathology
 Hormones:
 Pregnancy- increases hormones which can lead to
higher risk to gingivitis and tooth decay
 Woman may also be susceptible to tooth erosion from
morning sickness.

 Nutrition
 Sugary foods (tooth decay/cavities)
 Soda (tooth decay)
 Acidic foods (wearing away of tooth and tooth decay)

 Idiopathic
 We are unaware of the reason

 Biological
 Increase in bacteria that is left untouched will result in
decay, gingivitis and eventually periodontal disease

 Chemical
 Smokeless tobacco
 Smoking
 Alcohol
 Drugs

 Physical
 Recession (wearing away of gums) from constant
trauma (tongue/lip rings)
 Heat (hot foods/drinks)
 Trauma
 Dental Hygienist’s Role
in Oral Pathology
The dentist’s job is to diagnosis, but the dental
hygienist’s role is to find the lesion and be able
to describe it to the dentist.

 Before describing lesions to the dentists

dental hygienists must:
 Ask the patient questions about the lesion such
as:
 How long has the lesion been there?
 Is it causing you any pain?
 Do you know how the lesion appeared?
 Measure the lesion in millimeters with a
periodontal probe
 Determine the appearance of the lesions
 Whether the lesion is hard or soft
 If the lesion is smooth or rough
 The color or the lesion
 If the lesion is above or below the surface
 Determine the location of the lesion
 Whether the lesion is in more than one
place or in one spot
 Variants of Normal Oral
Pathology

 Every person is unique and every mouth is

a little different. We all have slight
differences that are considered variants
of normal.

 A variant of normal is a lesion that is

commonly seen in dentistry.
 Tori and Exostoses

Tori Exostoses

 Tori and exostoses are described as extra bone

growth in the mouth.
 Tori is found maxillary (top) or mandibular (bottom) on the
surfaces towards the tongue and can be one sided or on
both sides of the mouth.
 Exostoses is found on the surfaces towards the cheeks of
the mandible (bottom) and maxilla (top).

 These bony growths grow throughout a persons life

and typically are painless unless irritated.

 The cause of tori and exostoses may be contributed

to genetics and stress.

 Typically, treatment is not necessary.

 If patient is in need of dentures tori/exostoses can be
surgically removed
 If surgically removed bony growth can grow back
 Linea Alba

Linea Alba

 Linea Alba is a slightly raised white line that lies

horizontal where the teeth touch. It can be found
on one side of the cheek or on both sides of the
cheeks.

 Linea Alba can arise from clenching, cheek biting,

irritation from friction and braces.

 Treatment is not necessary. A mouth guard could be

recommended.
 Fordyce Granules

 Fordyce granules are defined as small yellow

sebaceous oil glands that are trapped. They
resemble a pimple without pus.

 They can be located on cheeks and lips and are

painless.

 The cause of fordyce granules is when the glands on

your lips and cheeks gets oil or sebum trapped and
cause the gland to swell up. Typically the body
releases the oil through hair follicles but because the
lips and mouth do not have hair the oil has no
release and the gland swells.

 No treatment is necessary.
 Hairy Tongue

 Hairy tongue is described as the taste buds on your

tongue that have become long and formed stain
on the top part of the tongue. Making your tongue
look furry and discolored.

 The stain can be many different colors such as:

white, black, yellow, brown or green.

 Hairy tongue is painless, but may have an odor from

trapped foods or bacteria.

 Hairy tongue derives from the use of prescription

drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and/or bad oral hygiene.

 The best way to treat hairy tongue is to brush your

tongue with a tooth brush and avoiding the
products listed above.
 Melanin Pigmentation

 Melanin Pigmentation is described as the gums of

dark-skinned individuals containing a darker hue. The
pigmentation may be uniform all throughout or may
be splotchy throughout the gums.

 Pigmentation of the gums may vary depending on

each person’s ethnicity and is hereditary. The cause
of melanin pigmentation is genetic inheritance.

 No treatment is necessary .
 Fissured Tongue

 A fissured tongue is a benign condition where the

tongue contains grooves and crevices on the top
and sides of the tongue. The grooves may vary in
depth and size and are painless.

 Approximately 5% of the general population have

fissured tongue and is found in the young and the
old.

 The cause of fissured is unknown, but it is thought to

be a genetic inheritance.

 There is no treatment required for a fissured tongue.

Because of the grooves and crevices on the tongue
food can get caught so good oral hygiene is
important. To prevent foul odor and complications it
is important to brush the tongue and rinse with water
at least two times a day.