Oral Pathology
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
 Your intraoral tissues can provide much information about your oral health. Healthy tissues are smooth and pink. If an issue is present, there are often changes in your intraoral tissues, including growths, lesions, and other abnormalities. At Palani Center for Dental Implants, we are experts in oral pathology. We can diagnose a variety of different oral diseases and provide you with the treatment you need to restore your oral health.
What Diseases Can Affect Your Mouth?
Your mouth can be affected by a variety of different oral diseases. As experts in oral pathology, we can diagnose and treat issues such as:
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Halitosis, or chronic bad breath.
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Canker sores.
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Cold sores.
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Leukoplakia. This condition causes excessive cell growth in your intraoral tissues.
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Cysts, such as median palatal cysts.
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Oral thrush, or a yeast infection that causes white patches to form.
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Issues with your salivary glands or ducts, which cause dry mouth.
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Oral cancer. |
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is the most dangerous disease that can affect your mouth. It is the largest group of head and neck cancers and can begin just about anywhere in your mouth. It is imperative that oral cancer is diagnosed and treated earlier. The earlier it is treated, the easier it is to treat, allowing us to restore your oral health and quality of life. When diagnosed and treated in later stages, it becomes more difficult to treat. Later diagnosis also increases the risk that oral cancer becomes fatal.
One of the biggest issues with oral cancer is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to notice early on. You might never even know that anything is wrong. This is what makes routine dental cleanings and exams so important. During your dental exams, you undergo an oral cancer screening, a quick, painless examination of the soft tissues. While you might never notice anything wrong, your general dentist can spot unusual areas in your mouth, allowing you to get the treatment you need.
Diagnosing Oral Diseases and Providing You with Treatment
If something unusual is detected, a more thorough oral examination is needed. We can look over the abnormality and note its size, shape, and its border. You may have digital images taken, such as X-rays, CBCT scans, or MRIs. A soft tissue biopsy may also be recommended. This involves removing a small portion of the tissue from the abnormality for closer examination under a microscope. We can see the tissue at the cellular level, allowing us to detect cancerous or precancerous cells.
Once we have diagnosed the disease affecting your oral health, we can then provide you with the treatment you need to eliminate it and restore your oral health. In many cases, restoring your oral health requires oral surgery. Surgery may be recommended to remove an abnormality, such as a cancerous growth. We may also remove a small amount of tissue surrounding the border of the growth. This helps to ensure that the disease is removed entirely. A follow up after surgery allows us to determine that the issue has been eliminated.
With oral pathology, we can diagnose and treat a variety of different oral diseases, improving your oral health and your quality of life. For more information, and to schedule your appointment, call Palani Center for Dental Implants today at (310) 894-8337.
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