Oral Medicine

Oral Medicine is a specialty within dentistry that focuses on the diagnosis and management of complex diagnostic and medical disorders affecting the maxillofacial region. Clinicians with advanced training in this discipline manage potentially malignant lesions and ulcerative lesions, salivary gland disorders, TMJ disorders, and management of orofacial pain. The department consists of Oral Medicine and Oral Radiology sections. The patient first approaches the department of Oral Medicine, where initial screening with Provisional Diagnosis is completed. The department also provides dental care for the patient with systemic diseases and medically compromised patient. Further it also includes the behavioral disorders. After screening, the patient is evaluated for investigations & is preceded with. Patients are referred to Oral Radiology department depending on x ray requirement. The dept. of OMDR is fully furnished with all the required amenities. Various lesions in Oral & Maxillofacial region are evaluated in department of Oral Medicine and Oral Radiology including initial screening, investigations, tobacco counseling, oral radiographs and treatment plan. The student’s education is the stepwise learning & assessment in department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. Primary objective of the department is to provide students a basic and advanced education in Oral Medicine and Radiology for an understanding of the maxillofacial diseases and its management. The student learning begins from chair position guidelines, importance of medicine in dentistry, demonstration radiographic techniques. The students are exposed to various clinical cases which begins their clinical course. The patient treated in the department of Oral Medicine are oral Submucous fibrosis, Lichen planus, Leukoplakia, herpes infection, viral infection, fungal infection, Neuralgias, salivary gland disorders, TMJ disorders. The entire syllabus is systematically planned for clinical and academic growth of students. The students are evaluated at the end of their posting. The students are made aware of various contagious diseases to avoid any cross contamination. Students are also made aware of radiation hazards are also explained about personal and patient protection. Students are discussed for detailed systematic interpretation of oral radiographs, their by enhancing their diagnostic skills. The students are trained for early cancer detection and tobacco counseling. They also gain knowledge to motivate and educate the patients for cancer therapy and prevention. All the patients from pediatric to geriatric are evaluated in the department of Oral Medicine. The aim of department includes patient’s awareness to oral problems apart from their chief complaint. A comprehensive treatment plan is explained at the end of screening. The patients are explained about the role of each department’s treatment. Oral medicine provides optimal health to all patients through gathering relevant medical and dental information for diagnostic and medical management of oral diseases. All the staff members of the department are actively involved in the research projects apart from having National and International publications and their contributions to book. The undergraduate students are extensively trained according to the syllabus prescribed by the DCI & MUHS in both clinics and academics.