Oral Medicine Nuts and Bolts

A Systematic Approach to Evaluation of Benign and Malignant oral soft tissue lesions …
Oral Health Management of Patients with Oral Cancer

In addition to examining the dental and periodontal structures, the oral health practitioner is required to be familiar with the plethora of oral lesions which can present in the oral cavity.  This interactive, case-based presentation will provide practical guidelines for accurate initial assessment of lesions most commonly seen in the dental office and provide the oral health care provider with a level of comfort when he/she must make clinical decisions regarding management.

• What are the variations of normal in the oral cavity?
• Which lesions may be diagnosed clinically and how?
• How long should one “watch” a lesion?
• Which lesions should be assessed immediately/referred?
• Indications for biopsy and different types of biopsy techniques.
• How to treat commonly occurring conditions such as traumatic ulcers, canker sores, fever blisters, pyogenic granulomas, ANUG, thrush, angular cheilitis, hairy tongue, symptomatic geographic tongue.
• Follow-up regimen and documentation process.

Prevention and early detection of oral cancer is a professional responsibility. Oral cancer More than 50,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States and about 10,000 Americans die from this disease annually. Treatment of advanced carcinoma is associated with significant morbidity and despite recent advances, the survival rate from advanced carcinoma  remains unsatisfactory primarily due to late-stage diagnosis. Early detection dramatically improves prognosis and survivorship. Through illustrated case presentations, this program reviews

• Epidemiology, risk factors and presentation of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
• Clinical spectrum and management of oral cavity pre-cancer.
• Role of adjunct techniques in early detection of premalignant lesions in oral cavity.
• Classification, epidemiology, transmission, and natural history of HPV infection.
• Pathogenesis of HPV-induced oral warts & oropharyngeal malignancies.
• Therapeutic complications of advanced oral malignancy and their management.
• How would current or previous therapy for oral cancer impacts dental care?
• Prevention of oropharyngeal cancers through HPV vaccination.
• Role of dental professionals in the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer.