Oral and maxillofacial pathology concentrates on diagnosing and understanding the nature of diseases and abnormal conditions in the oral and facial areas. Oral and maxillofacial pathology is a branch of dentistry concerned with the nature and identification of characteristics, causes and effects of diseases affecting the mouth and oral cavity, including the teeth, jaws, soft tissue and salivary glands.
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Treatment and Procedures
The focus of oral and maxillofacial pathology includes the following:
- Diagnosing and treating oral cancers
- Diagnosing and treating infections of the maxillofacial region
- Performing biopsies and diagnostic tests
Other means of researching and diagnosing patients' symptoms may include the use of clinical, radiographic, microscopic or biochemical examinations.
Oral and maxillofacial pathologists concentrate on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of oral disease, with a concentration on establishing a connection between oral disease and systemic disease. Oral pathology is a specialty officially recognized by the American Dental Association and the federal government, entitling it to its own national certifying board, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.