When you have sores or lesions that appear in the inside of your mouth and they fail to properly heal after a week or two, this could be an oral pathology that needs immediate attention. Our team can examine these concerns and if necessary, discuss biopsy and treatment. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral and maxillofacial surgeons talk about our approach to addressing oral pathologies.
Signs You Need Treatment
Oral pathologies can include sores, lesions, rough patches, and areas with red and white splotches in the inside of the cheek or in the gums. If these don’t heal after a week or two, this could potentially mean the presence of oral cancer. Studies show that oral cancer itself has a very high mortality rate, with half of those diagnosed succumbing to the disease in only five years. This is mainly because the issue is rarely caught in the early stages, but by seeing us to diagnose your oral pathogens at their earliest stages, we can refer you to specialists as needed and start treatment to increase your chance of a full recovery.
Diagnosis and Evaluation
Our team will ask you detailed questions about your symptoms and when you first started experiencing them. We will also look at underlying factors that could apply to you. In most cases, oral pathologies are benign and not a risk to you. But we want to make sure, and if we discover areas that could be cancerous or precancerous, we will conduct a biopsy to take a tissue sample that an oral health specialist can examine. Along with the symptoms we discovered above, you also develop cysts, tumors, changes to your diet, prolonged hoarseness, an unexplained weight loss, and swelling. We will conduct a full review of your medical and oral health history, and obtain detailed digital x-rays and CBCT images of your smile too, so we can conduct a diagnosis with precision and accuracy.
Protecting Your Smile
Following your examination and evaluation, we may discuss possible treatment options or refer you to a specialist to begin care. But you can also take steps to reduce your overall risk of oral pathologies. For example, only drink alcohol in moderation and avoid tobacco use. Limit your UV light exposure and also wear sunscreen too. However, even if one of these underlying factors apply to you, the risk of oral cancer is still there, so don’t ignore prolonged sores or other symptoms that could occur. If you have any questions, contact our teams today!
Learn More About Our Approach to Oral Surgeries in Santa Rosa, CA
Our team wants to help you enjoy good oral health and obtain treatment for problems in their early stages! To learn more about oral pathologies, then give us a call at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery at (707)545-4625 today!
