ORAL SOFT TISSUE LESIONS

Course overview

THE ORAL CAVITY IS AN IDEAL PLACE FOR MICROORGANISMS TO GROW. MANY DISTINCT BACTERIAL GROUPS LIVE IN THE ORAL CAVITY, AND SOME OF THESE BACTERIA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE PART OF THE NORMAL ORAL FLORA. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THESE COMMON BACTERIAL SPECIES CAN ALSO BE THE CAUSE OF OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS (INFECTIONS BY SPECIES THAT ARE AVIRULENT IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS BUT THAT CAN BE FATAL IN PATIENTS WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE AWARE OF THE CAUSES OF COMMON LESIONS FOUND IN THE ORAL CAVITY SO THEY CAN BE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND TREATED. THIS BASIC-LEVEL COURSE REVIEWS THE SOFT TISSUE LESIONS FOUND IN THE ORAL CAVITY OF ADULTS AND DISCUSSES THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. COMMON PROBLEMS INCLUDE INFLAMMATORY AND INFECTIOUS PROCESSES, DEGENERATIVE PROCESSES, AND ABNORMAL GROWTHS.