Course description

Sometimes things go wrong, even in the healthiest people. If you have pain, bleeding, or unusual symptoms in your mouth, oral pathology helps us find the answers you need.

According to the American Dental Association: “Oral pathology is the specialty of dentistry and discipline of pathology that deals with the nature, identification, and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions.” In other words, oral pathology is the science that understands the causes and effects of these diseases. Common practices include clinical examinations, lab testing, and taking the whole body health and chemistry into consideration.

Pathology is important because if you have a certain problem, we want to know exactly what it is so that we can offer the right treatment. For example, viruses and bacteria are completely different kinds of organisms. Both can make you sick, but in order to get the proper treatment, we want to know what exactly is causing the problem.

For example, let’s say at your last checkup, Dr. Baird and Dr. Buske noticed your gums bled more than usual and have started to recede. These are early warning signs of gingivitis and gum disease. But why now? Your gums have been healthy your whole life. After a brief discussion, we rule out any dietary, hygiene or lifestyle changes. But you are taking a new medication – a medication that is known to cause dry mouth, a common risk factor for gum disease. Aha! And there we have it. Oral pathology has done it again!

Oral pathology takes into consideration your personal health background to consider what existing medical conditions might be affecting you specifically. This is why it’s a great idea to have a good relationship with your Granbury dentist, that includes sharing any and all health problems and medications – even if you think they don’t have anything to do with your mouth. Your oral health and your overall health go hand-in-hand!

What will i learn?