Читать книгу Oral Pathology in Clinical Dental Practice - Robert E. Marx - Страница 7

Dentists and their dental hygiene team historically have been the great identifiers of oral diseases—not only the common ones of dental caries and periodontal inflammation but also those of oral cancers, serious infections, systemic diseases, and many more. I have personally seen astute “pickups” by referring dentists that have identified serious conditions that actually saved lives. The early recognition of an abnormality, no matter how trivial it may seem at first, can result in a better chance for cure or control and treatments that reduce deformities and disabilities.

On the other hand, I have also treated individuals in whom a denture was made incorporating the expansion of a tumor and several times a history consisting of repeated dental restorations around a fungating cancer. Although this other side of the coin is less common, it is a reality.

This book was written to encourage the early recognition of oral disease and guide the dentist and dental hygiene team in how to recognize certain conditions and what path to take that will most benefit the patient. It also reviews each condition/disease in a concise manner so as to keep them up to date on how the disease develops, who is most likely to present with it, the clinical and radiographic appearance, a reasonable differential diagnosis, a brief overview of the most common microscopic appearance, and, importantly, a suggested course of action—that is, when to observe and for how long, when to refer and to whom, when to biopsy, and when to order tests and for what, etc.

It is hoped that the descriptions and representative photographs as well as the guidance for each disease will help each dentist and dental hygiene team member become a complete oral health care professional and in doing so save a life or two.