Oral Pathology
Aphthous Ulcers
Aphthous Ulcers For your dental health. Aphthous ulcers - commonly known as canker sores - are small, painful sores that occur on the oral mucosa (the pink tissue that lines the inside of the mouth). They are the most common ulcer that affects t...
Apical Periodontal Cyst
Apical PeriodontalCyst For your dental health. An apical periodontal cyst, also called a radicular cyst, is a mass of soft tissue that is characterized by having a fluid-filled central cavity (called a lumen) that develops around the lower 1/...
Biopsy
Biopsy For your dental health. If we cannot easily diagnose a growth or lesion by examining it visually, we will often recommend a biopsy. When we perform a biopsy, we surgically remove tissue - either a small, representative portion,...
Cellulitis
Cellulitis For your dental health. Cellulitis is a severe, rapidly-spreading bacterial infection that results from an uncontrolled infection in the gums, tooth pulp or root end (apex). It normally starts close to the source of the original i...
Condensing Osteitis
Condensing Osteitis For your dental health. Condensing osteitis is a change in the density of the bone that usually occurs as a result of a low-grade infection or chronic irritation to the tissue surrounding the root of a tooth. This irritation or in...
Dental Fistula
Dental Fistula For your dental health. A dental fistula (also called a parulis or a gum boil) forms in response to an infection at the base of the tooth's root (called the apex). They can also form in reaction to an abscess, cyst or other inflamm...
Dentigerous Cyst
Dentigerous Cyst For your dental health. Dentigerous cysts are smooth, firm, soft tissue growths that can develop on any tooth that has not grown in (erupted) completely. They form from the follicular sac, a membrane that surrounds the cr...
Denture Hyperplasia
Denture Hyperplasia For your dental health. Denture hyperplasia is characterized by a smooth, tumor-like mass that forms within the space between the cheek and the gums (the vestibular sulcus) in response to chronic irritation caused by the flang...
Enamel Hypoplasia
Enamel Hypoplasia For your dental health. Enamel hypoplasia is a disturbance in the tooth's development that causes incomplete or defective formation of the outer enamel layer of forming teeth. It can occur on any tooth, primary or permanent,...
Epidermoid (Squamous) Carcinoma
Epidermoid (squamous) Carcinoma For your dental health. Epidermoid, or squamous, carcinoma is often characterized by rapid-growing lesions that vary tremendously in appearance; they can be red or white, smooth or rough, ulcerated or n...
Epithelial Dysplasia
Epithelial Dysplasia For your dental health. Epithelial dysplasia refers to microscopic changes in the cells that makeup the outer layer of the mouth's lining (the mucosa), similar to changes usually seen in cancers in the same location. The chan...
Epithelial Hyperplasia
Epithelial Hyperplasia For your dental health. Epithelial hyperplasia is a thickening of the outer layer of the mucosa (the lining of the inside of the mouth) and the skin. This outer layer is called the epithelium. The degree of thickening can vary...
Exostosis
Exostosis For your dental health. An exostosis is a slow-growing, tumor-like bony growth that is typically found on the outer surface of the upper gums, on the roof of the mouth (the palate), or on the inner surface of the lower gums. Exo...
Fibroepithelial Polyp
Fibroepithelial Polyp For your dental health. Fibroepithelial polyps are small, round, knob-like growths that can form anywhere on the mucosa (the pink tissue lining the inside of the mouth), but are most common on the tongue and the lips...
Fibroma
Fibroma For your dental health. Most fibromas of the oral cavity are caused by long-term irritation or trauma, such as persistent cheek or lip biting. They consist of increased numbers of normal cells (called hyperplasia) that are fibrous in natu...
Fissured Tongue
Fissured Tongue For your dental health. The top surface of a normal tongue is typically smooth, with a slight groove down the center (called the midline). However, if you were to look at your tongue under a strong magnifying glass or microsco...
Foliate Papilla
Foliate Papilla For your dental health. Foliate papilla are crescent-shaped nodules or ridges that exist along the sides of the rear of the tongue. They occur normally and are not associated with any localized or systemic disease. Foliate papilla oft...
Fordyce Granules
Fordyce Granules For your dental health. Fordyce granules are yellow or yellowish-white clusters of pimple-like formations just beneath the mucosa (the pink tissue covering the inside of the oral cavity). They usually occur on the inside of the lips...
Granulation Tissue
Granulation Tissue For your dental health. Granulation tissue is the fleshy new growth that forms on the surface of a wound as it heals. This tissue is usually firm, or even hard, and has a red, velvety, 'beefy' appearance because of...
Hairy Tongue
Hairy Tongue For your dental health. Hairy tongue is a chronic condition in which the tiny bumps on the tongue's surface (called filiform papillae) enlarge and elongate to form hair-like projections. Normally, the surface cells of the papillae ar...
Hypercementosis
Hypercementosis For your dental health. Enamel covers the portion of the tooth above the gumline. Cementum covers the portion below the gumline (the root surface). Hypercementosis is the thickening or increased deposit of cementumon the root surface...
Lateral Periodontal Abscess
Lateral PeriodontalAbscess For your dental health. A lateral periodontal abscess is a result of rapidly-growing bacteria within a periodontal pocket. A periodontal pocket forms in the presence of periodontal disease, as the gums become infected a...
Leukoedema
Leukoedema For your dental health. Leukoedema is characterized by a widespread whitening of the inner lining of the cheek or other mouth tissues, due to an increase in the amount of fluid being retained by the skin's cells. Leukoedema is persiste...
Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia For your dental health. Leukoplakia is a white patch-like lesion that develops on the mucous membranes within the mouth in response to chronic irritation. The lesions occur primarily on the tongue and the inside of the cheek, but also...
Lichen Planus
Lichen Planus For your dental health. Lichen planus is a disease that occurs within the mouth or on the skin, or may involve both sites. There are three types of lichen planus. The most common type is reticular lichen planus, discussed below....
Lymphoid Hyperplasia
Lymphoid Hyperplasia For your dental health. Lymphoid hyperplasia is not a disease or a tumor, but simply a term we use to represent enlarged tissue masses. Normal lymphoid tissue is found in your lymph nodes and tonsils. These tissues act as you...
Microdontia
Microdontia For your dental health. Microdontia is literally "small teeth." When this condition is present, one or more teeth have shortened roots and are smaller than normal, or they are cone-shaped or malformed in some other way. It commonl...
Migratory Glossitis
Migratory Glossitis For your dental health. The top surface of a normal tongue is typically smooth, with a slight groove down the center (called the midline). However, if you were to look at your tongue under a strong magnifying glass or mic...
Mucocele
Mucocele For your dental health. Mucoceles, or mucus retention cysts, are harmless mucus-filled lesions that are most common on the inner surface of the lower lip, but can also appear on the floor of the mouth and the inner lining (mucosa...
Nicotine Stomatitis
Nicotine Stomatitis For your dental health. Nicotine stomatitis is a lesion that develops on the hard or soft palate of some smokers. It appears as white with raised red dots; the red areas represent inflamed ducts of the minor mucous glands. The sur...
Odontogenic Keratocyst
Odontogenic Keratocyst For your dental health. Odontogenic keratocysts are soft, slow-growing lesion usually found in the lower jaw. They present themselves a as smooth swelling that can vary greatly in size, from a small, well-defined gr...
Osteosclerosis
Osteosclerosis For your dental health. Osteosclerosis is an abnormal change in the density of bone, not unlike a similar condition, condensing osteitis. However, there is often no obvious cause of osteosclerosis. Osteosclerosis lesions us...
Papillary Hyperplasia
Papillary Hyperplasia For your dental health. Papillary hyperplasia is the existence of multiple small, merging pimple-like lesions within the mouth for an extended period of time. They usually vary in color from pink to red, and exist prima...
Papilloma
Papilloma For your dental health. Papillomas are slow-growing, soft lesions that are sometimes caused by a virus. They can also spread through direct contact with the mouth's lining (the mucosa). Papillomas can occur at any age, and can be fo...
Periapical Abscess
Periapical Abscess For your dental health. A periapical abscess is an infection at the base or root end of the tooth (called the apex), and usually encompasses the bottom 1/3 of the tooth root. The abscess is a collection of pus that develops in...
Periapical Granuloma
Periapical Granuloma For your dental health. A periapical granuloma is a relatively common lesion or growth that develops around the tip of a tooth's root. It consists of a proliferating mass of granulation tissue (new tissue that forms on a wound) a...
Pericoronitis
Pericoronitis For your dental health. Pericoronitis is a red swelling of the soft tissues that surround the crown of a tooth that has only partially grown in (erupted). The swelling ranges from soft to firm. It can progress to become a knob-like mass...
Periodontitis
Periodontitis For your dental health. Periodontitis is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. It is characterized by an inflammation and/or degeneration of the tissues that give support to the teeth - namely the gums, the connective tissue (th...
Peripheral Ossifying Fibroma
Peripheral Ossifying For your dental health. Peripheral ossifying fibromas are well-defined oral growths that contain bone tissue. They are most often found attached to the gums near the molars or premolars, and are usually connected either by a...
Pulp Stones (Denticles)
Pulp Stones (Denticles) For your dental health. Pulp stones are hard, bone-like structures that form within the pulp of a tooth, either within the crown or within the root's canal. They are usually detected on x-ray examination, unless th...
Pyogenic Granulomas
Pyogenic Granulomas For your dental health. Pyogenic granulomas are painless, localized, spherical (ball-shaped) lesions that are most common on the gums, but they can also occur on the lips, tongue, the inside of the cheek, a...
Recurrent Herpes Simplex
Recurrent Herpes Simplex For your dental health. Recurrent herpes simplex is a viral infection that occurs repeatedly in individuals who have experienced the primary infection (usually a more severe episode). Lesions associated with the disease - cal...
The Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco
The Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco For your dental health. Copyright 2003 CAESY Education Systems, Inc. Smokeless tobacco users are at high risk of developing the following: * Cancer of the mouth, tongue, and pharynx (''voice box'...
Tooth Abrasion
Tooth Abrasion For your dental health. Tooth abrasion is the permanent loss of tooth structure that can occur on the tooth's cutting surface, the outer enamel layer, exposed root surfaces, and non-enamel surfaces. It is caused primarily b...
Tooth Attrition
Tooth Attrition For your dental health. Tooth attrition is the loss of tooth structure that can result from tooth-to-tooth contact during biting or chewing. It occurs primarily on the the biting or chewing surfaces of teeth, but it can also occur...
Torus Mandibularis
Torus Mandibularis For your dental health. A torus mandibularis is a slow-growing, tumor-like bony growth that develops on the inside (lingual) surface of the lower jaw bone (the mandible). Tori are smooth, and can be either broad and flat o...
Torus Palatinus
Torus Palatinus For your dental health. A torus palatinus is a slow-growing, tumor-like bony growth that develops on the midline of the roof of the mouth. Tori are smooth, and can be either broad and flat, or knob-shaped. They can exist i...
Traumatic Ulcer
Traumatic Ulcer For your dental health. An ulcer is a depressed lesion that results from a loss of the the outer layer of the skin or mucosa (the lining of the mouth). Ulcers can be superficial (shallow) or deep, with regular or irregular outline...
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia For your dental health. Facial pain is often blamed on TMD - a complex disorder in the jaw joint (the temporomandibular joint). But if you experience fleeting episodes of intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain aroun...
Varices
Varices For your dental health. Varices are localized blood vessels that become dilated (or swollen), then develop into persistent, soft, blister-like lesions. Their color may range from blue to gray to purple, depending on the depth...
Xerostemia
Xerostomia For your dental health. Xerostomia - or dry mouth - occurs when the salivary glands don't function properly. This can either be a symptom of a serious health condition, or a side effect of a medication, radiation therapy or chemot...