What is Oral Medicine and Why is it Important?

What is Oral Medicine and Why is it Important?

Abstract:

This talk will shed light on the specialty of oral medicine and how it integrates dentistry and medicine, including informative clinical case discussions.

Introduction: 

Dentists are experts in the diagnosis and management of diseases of the teeth and periodontium; however most have far less comfort when it comes to “non-dental” oral diseases. Similarly, physicians receive little if any training in dental and oral medicine and are likely to refer their patients with oral diseases to oral health care specialists. For these reasons, it is not at all uncommon for a patient with an oral medicine condition to visit multiple doctors before receiving a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan, often months to even years after the initial presentation. Dentists are responsible for providing comprehensive oral health care and therefore must be familiar with the wide range of non-odontogenic conditions that can affect the oral cavity. This talk will provide an introduction and overview of the specialty of oral medicine and provide a framework for how the specialty integrates dentistry and medicine.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the scope of the specialty of oral medicine and describe how it integrates dentistry and medicine.
2. Describe the role of oral medicine specialists in the diagnosis and management of complex oral lesions/conditions associated with systemic diseases.
3. Be knowledgeable about the scope and variety of therapeutics utilized in the clinical practice of oral medicine.
4. Characterize oral medicine practice models ranging from private practice setting to integrated services in tertiary care hospitals.
5. Identify clinical situations where referral to an oral medicine specialist is indicated.