Oral Pathology

The oral cavity consists of several components in addition to the teeth, including gingiva (gums), tongue, palate, cheeks, lips, and floor of the mouth. Mouth cancer refers to cancer that develops in any of the parts that make up the oral cavity.  At Evans Dental Care, the goal of oral pathology is to diagnose and manage patients with salivary gland and mucosal diseases, diseases of the jaw bones, and head and neck pain syndromes where the primary treatment method is nonsurgical.

This facet of dentistry identifies and treats diseases that affect the mouth and maxillofacial region. Diagnosis can occur with microscopic, radiographic, biochemical and an in-office exam. An oral pathology also offers biopsy services for dentists and provides diagnoses based on those findings. During a biopsy, a tissue sample is removed to be tested. Some diseases that an oral pathology can diagnose include mouth and throat cancer, ulcers, mumps, infections, and salivary gland issues.

If you have questions or concerns regarding preventive dental care or oral cancer screening, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.evansdentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg, VA, call 757-349-8877.

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

As part of our holistic practice at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg, we want our patients to know how to protect themselves from oral cancer. Each April is designated by a number of dental and cancer groups as Oral Cancer Awareness Month, so this seemed like a good time to talk about this disease’s causes and how to detect it.

About 60% of people diagnosed with oral cancer survive for more than five years, but this low number is partly due to cancer often not being detected until it has reached an advanced stage. Cancer in the oral cavity is usually caused by smoking, tobacco use, or heavy use of alcohol. Further back in the mouth, in a region called the oropharynx, it can be caused by a strain of HPV. Some of the warning signs patients should be on the look-out for are red or white discoloration, persistent pain, irritation, numbness, and difficulty swallowing.

Scans of the oral cavity are done with a special light which can detect suspicious growths beneath the tissue surface. If something suspicious is found, a sample of tissue, called a biopsy, will be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Dr. Peter Evans operates Evans Dental Care at 103 Bulifants Blvd., Suite B, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23188. To schedule an appointment, visit Evans Dental Care or call 757-349-8877.