Salivary and Oral Conditions

Oral Conditions by Group

Abnormalities of the oral cavity can be caused by several things. Due to the compact nature of the systems within the mouth, identifying not only the symptoms but the cause of the issue is critical. Often, symptoms can be masked as the cause. A proper assessment can determine the actual source of the issue.

Oral diseases can be characterized in different groups:

• Developmental
• Reactive/Inflammatory
• Infectious
• Neoplastic/pre-neoplastic
• Autoimmune and immune mediated
• Metabolic

An oral examination may comprise of a uniform and consistent inspection of the head, neck and intraoral evaluation of the hard and soft tissues. The entire mouth is inspected to determine differentiation between causes from symptoms. A good patient history and careful examination are helpful in establishing a diagnosis and providing appropriate treatment.