Over the past several decades, the need for oral health care professionals to understand basic principles of medicine and diagnosis has grown exponentially.
This is due, in part, to changing characteristics of patients seeking oral health services.
The population is aging, and an increasing number of patients seeking oral health services are living with chronic illnesses, are taking multiple medications, and have undergone surgical procedures (eg, cardiac surgery, organ transplantation) that prolong life but have a profound effect on craniofacial health and function, as well as on the provision of dental care.
Oral health is an integral part of total health, and oral health care professionals must adapt to demographic changes and medical advances and shoulder the responsibility of being part of the patient’s overall health care team.
DENTAL TRAINING: ORAL MEDICINE videos including FREE Webinars, Conferences and Clinical Cases to share
Oral medicine is a specialty within dentistry that focuses on the diagnosis and management of complex diagnostic and medical disorders affecting the mouth and jaws.
Clinicians with advanced training in this discipline manage oral mucosal disease, salivary gland disorders, and facial pain syndromes and also provide dental care for patients with complicating medical disease.
However, all general dentists and dental specialists must be more aware of oral medicine and the medical status of their patients in order to provide a high level of oral heath care.
