A retrospective survey of the oral conditions of 981 patients referred to an oral medicine private practice

Article Abstract:

The field of oral medicine incorporates the principles of medicine that relate to the mouth, including diagnosing and treating diseases specific to the orofacial tissues. Oral medicine also involves treating behavioral disorders and oral and dental problems of medically compromised patients. A study was conducted of 981 patients referred to an oral medicine private practice to characterize the distribution of disorders, identify conditions difficult to diagnose and treat, and to detect areas that require future education and research. Of the patients referred, 55.2 percent had mucosal problems; these included pain and dysfunction (23.3 percent); periodontal (supporting structures of the teeth, such as the gums) and tooth disorders (17.1 percent), or other abnormalities (4.4 percent). The study computed the percentages of all patients and each of the orofacial disorders that were observed. The mucosal problems included 19.7 percent with lichen planus (an eruptive skin disease); 8.8 percent with aphthae stomatitis (small mouth ulcers); and 5.1 percent with xerostomia (dryness of the mouth). Of the patients with pain and dysfunction, 11.8 percent had myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome, fibromyalgia (a group of nonspecific disorders producing pain and stiffness), or temporomandibular disorder; 3.9 percent had glossodynia (burning tongue); and 2.7 percent had oro-facial dysfunction. Patients with periodontal disorders were distributed as follows: 4.4 percent had periodontitis, 1.5 percent were diagnosed with gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), and 1.3 percent had gingival hyperplasia (gingivitis with tissue overgrowth). Those with tooth problems included erosion/abrasion in 1.7 percent, abscess affected 1.5 percent, and defective restoration was found in 1.1 percent. The study concluded that clinicians need to improve their expertise in diagnosing and treating lichen planus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and fibromyalgia. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Statistics, Surveys, Dental care, Oral hygiene, Mouth diseases

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Using anesthetic localization to diagnose oral and dental pain

Article Abstract:

The cases of two patients with dental pain illustrate the diagnostic use of local anesthesia. A 37-year-old woman had a one-year history of pain in a left lower tooth which radiated along the jaw towards the back of her mouth. A dental x-ray revealed a dark area between the roots of two lower left teeth. The dentist injected a local anesthetic near these teeth and temporarily relieved the pain. A surgeon removed a lesion near the tooth socket and scraped and removed the surrounding tissue. A tissue biopsy led to the diagnosis of fibromyxoma. A 59-year-old woman complained of oral pain while resting and at night. She had sustained a facial injury three years earlier and had root canal fillings and crowns on two lower right teeth. A dentist administered local anesthesia near a lower right molar and temporarily relieved the pain. The patient was diagnosed with a vertical root fracture and the molar was extracted. Treatment successfully alleviated pain in both patients.

Diagnosis, Causes of, Anesthesia in dentistry, Dental anesthesia, Tooth diseases, Orofacial pain, Facial pain, Toothache

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Diabetic neuropathy masquerading as glossodynia

Article Abstract:

A burning sensation in the mouth may be a sign of diabetic nerve disease. This was the case for a 54-year-old woman who visited her dentist, and a blood test showed that her blood sugar was not well-controlled. The burning sensation disappeared once her blood sugar was controlled.

Health aspects, Diabetic neuropathies

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