What Does Oral Medicine Specialist Do?

When you think about oral health, dental care is probably the first thing that comes to mind. However, oral health is more than just brushing and flossing your teeth. It’s about taking care of your whole mouth, including your gums, lips, and throat.

That’s where oral medicine specialists come in. Oral medicine specialists are dentists who have received additional training in diagnosing and treating disorders that affect the whole mouth, not just the teeth. If you’re experiencing problems with your oral health, you may need to see an oral medicine specialist.

What is Oral Medicine?

Oral medicine deals with diagnosing and treating disorders of the oral cavity and surrounding structures, including tumors, teeth diseases, periodontal diseases, gingivitis, and stomatitis.

What is the role of oral medicine? What does it do?

The role of oral medicine is to provide comprehensive clinical care to patients with oral and maxillofacial problems. This means that patients are provided treatment that addresses their oral and maxillofacial conditions from both an oral and a facial perspective.

The primary disease or disorder that oral medicine treats is periodontal disease. Periodontal diseases include dental plaque, periapical disease, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Periodontitis is an oral disease and inflammatory disorder of the gums and bone around teeth. It is advisable to visit a periodontist in Coquitlam for assessment if you notice swelling and gum bleeding.

What Common Mouth and Jaw Diseases do Oral Specialists Address?

Oral conditions are usually caused by various things, including a poor bite, injuries, or teeth grinding. If you experience jaw pain, you should see a dentist near you in Coquitlam for an examination. Your dentist can examine you and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Some of these diseases are preventable, and many of them can be addressed and reversed if caught early. It’s best to seek dental care early if you suspect you may have them.

• Jaw misalignment

A misaligned jaw can cause issues with the tongue, lips, and airways while sleeping. This can lead to a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea, which leads to pauses in breathing. The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea can include headaches and fatigue. The best dentist in Coquitlam will use different treatments to address the misalignment.

• Cleft palate

During the early stages of development, the baby develops with a cleft lip and/or palate. It can be caused by genetics passed down from both parents or environmental factors, such as smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Several medications can also cause clefting in women who are on certain medications during pregnancy. A routine ultrasound exam and the baby’s first medical examination are excellent ways to diagnose the condition.

If you have a cleft lip and palate child, you may wonder if it is possible to repair it with surgery. While some methods are more successful, you can find a doctor to perform this type of surgery. The benefits of this surgery include the correction of deformities in the mouth, nose, and lip. It is also possible to correct other issues related to the structure of the face.

If your child was born with cleft lip and palate, you should go to a multidisciplinary clinic or team. Surgery for cleft lip and palate involves rearranging the muscles and lining of the palate to close the gap. After the surgery, your child will be on a soft-food diet for a few weeks. A speech surgeon may also perform surgery to improve your child’s speech.

• Oral cancer

Oral cancer cases are on the rise as the disease accounts for about 30 percent of cancer cases. Although the condition progresses without symptoms, it can be caught early with regular cancer screening.

The oral cancer screening includes both physical and visual assessments. Your dentist will use a small dental mirror to examine the base of your tongue and may also press on the floor of your mouth with a gloved finger. If there are abnormal cells, your dental specialist near you will perform additional tests like a biopsy.

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Visit Tri-Cities Dental Specialist for more information about oral medicine and the different treatments we offer.