What is an oral pathologist?

oral pathologist, also called oral maxillofacial pathologist, is a dental specialist who specializes in the diagnosis of serious diseases of dental and facial cavities. Whenever a general dentist meets a chronic condition during a routine test, he can remove part of the affected tissue and send it to the pathologist for further study. The task of this expert is to find out whether the tissue sample is probably cancer or infectious.

Although training initially monitors the same program that leads to the title DDS, the oral pathologist continues to education with a three -year internship in an oral and maxillofacial pathology hospital. However, this training does not lead to the title of MD, so it is not uncommon for doctors to consult a specialist in the ear, nose and neck instead of a trained pathologist. While many dentists do not have a reluctance to consult an oral pathologist, some doctors are not so familiar with the level of expertise of ions. If these conditions cannot be checked by standard treatment methods, it mayGeneral dentist call an oral pathologist for more advanced procedures. This professional may decide to specialize in this type of practical practice or spend more time diagnostics and research.

The number of oral pathologists in the United States is surprisingly low. The National Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists currently reports only 236 active members. This means the ratio of more than a million citizens to each active pathologist. There are some states without a single licensed professional in the record. Many of the laboratory work carried out by these people, such as a biopsy diagnosis, can be carried out by another laboratory staff, but specialized treatment can be difficult to duplicate.