“As is our pathology, so is our practice.

What the Pathologist thinks

today, the Physician does tomorrow.”

-Sir William Osler

What is Oral Pathology

To understand the reasons behind dental ailments
and issues, one must understand oral pathology. The
mouth is one of the most significant organs of the
body. It is a medium to consume food and a medium
to express emotions. Poor dental hygiene and health
can cause severe damage to this organ, and to
understand the depth of this damage and how and
why it occurs, oral pathology is employed.

Oral pathology is that part of pathology and a branch of

dentistry concerned with the scientific study of the
causes and effects of oral disease an understanding of
which is essential for diagnosis and for the development
of rational treatment and preventive programmes.

One of the most important purposes of oral pathology is

to give the student the ability to correctly diagnose oral
lesions. There are more than 200 different types of
diseases that affect the oral cavity, & many of these can
only be diagnosed through microscopic examination.

The Clinical appearance and history of oral lesions,

however can often give the clinician a reriable
provisional diagnosis on which he/she can plan further
management of the patient.

Goals of the department

1. The goal of the oral pathology department is to
provide basic knowledge of Normal Dental
Anatomy and Histology and it’s pathological form
for improved understanding of the oral diseases
and increased skill in it’s diagnosis.
2. To transform the nature of dental education and
practice in ways that will dramatically improve the
way we serve our patients, & the surrounding
community.

Oral Pathology develops dental student’s knowledge and skill

in comprehensive patient evaluation and diagnosis in
treatment planning. The curriculum is well integrated with
other departments helping the students to have holistic
approach towards oral diseases.

Scope
This branch of dentistry is a confluence of basic sciences
and clinical dentistry and covers hematology,
biochemistry, immunology, serology, microbiology,
oncology, histopathology and cytopathology.
There are number of cases reported annually ranging
from infectious diseases to tumors to cysts.
The students are trained and sharpen their research skills,
strengthen their basic concepts by applications in clinical
 subjects like Endodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral Surgery
as well as Oral Medicine and Radiology.
Oral diagnosis is based on sound knowledge of oral
pathology and is essential for good clinical practice.

We rely heavily on oral pathology to diagnose our

patients and treat them quickly if they are
suffering from any dental issues. When a dentist
examines your mouth, he or she takes into
account your personal health history to
determine what is causing it.

Why Is Oral Pathology Important In

Dentistry?
Oral pathology is important in dentistry because it
helps to identify diseases of the mouth and jaws. It
can also help to determine the cause of certain oral
symptoms. Oral pathology can also provide
information about how a disease may progress and
what treatments may be effective.
Oral and maxillofacial pathology is a highly
specialized field of medicine, and the mouth is the
first and most important site of disease in humans.
Many of these dentists are also involved in the
development of new dental treatments and
techniques to prevent future dental problems, in
addition to studying and researching the causes,
processes, and effects of diseases that start in the
mouth or jaw. In the next few years, we will learn
more about how diseases start in the mouth and how
it can affect our overall health, making oral and
maxillofacial pathology an important field of study.
They are the people who can ensure a lifetime of
healthy teeth and gums for everyone.