Oral Diseases and The Dental clinician

The oral mucosa may be affected of pathological processes from almost all types. Specific oral diseases, such as precancerous, benign and malignant tumors, necrotic sialometaplasia, leukokeratosis, erythroplasia, aphthous diseases, vascular malformations and tumors, orofacial syndromes and many others can be observed in this area. Other lesions of the oral mucosa are symptomatic for systemic diseases and in some specific cases may be their only manifestation. The variety of pathological processes includes viral or autoimmune bullous and vesicular lesions, reactions of hypersensitivity, tissue-mediated immunopathology, oral lesions of hemopoietic diseases such as leucosis, agranulocytosis, anaemias, tissue reactions due to systematic medication or benign process therapy, etc.
In certain cases oral lesion is the first and only sign of numerous diseases – pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, lupus erythematosus, leucosis, lymphoma, plasmocytoma, hystiocytosis, etc. The timely diagnosis and differentiation from typical primary oral mucosal diseases are essential for the proper treatment and prognosis in these cases.
The clinical manifestation of most diseases is usually complicated. Often various pathological processes occur with similar, difficult to distinguish, objective symptoms. On the other hand, the specific biology of the oral cavity, trauma and superimposed inflammatory processes lead to further difficulties in the differential diagnosis. This requires a thorough diagnostic approach, dynamic tracing and last but not least, devotion to the profession  and knowledge about the responsibilities and competences of the dentist.