Oral pathology is the branch of dentistry studying the diseases of oral and para-oral structures, including the intra-oral soft tissues and mucous membranes of the mouth, jaws, and salivary glands. The tissues of the mouth can be red, white or pink, and it takes a specially trained clinician to be able to determine what is normal tissue and what is abnormal tissue.
Dr. Paris has training in clinical immunology. infectious diseases, oral medicine and is Board Certified with the American Society of Clinical Pathology. When you see Dr. Paris, he performs an oral cancer exam irregardless of the patient's age, gender, or purpose of the visit as a courtesy to all his patients. Fifteen percent of all cancers reported in the U.S. yearly are cancers found in the mouth. Many times these cancers are only detected when the lesions have become very large and treatment is complicated and extensive. Due to Dr. Paris' extensive training, he has been able to find cancerous lesions when they have initially appeared, and working with a group of qualified professionals can schedule patients for timely treatment.
Some of the signs and/or lesions can be in the following areas:
Pain may or may not be present when the lesion initially appears or after it becomes more extensive. Dr. Paris may obtain a small piece of the lesion or remove all of it at the office or at his affiliated hospital. He will work with your primary care physician to perform the necessary tests to confirm whether the lesion is cancerous or not. Some of these tests involve certain blood chemistries that your medical insurance will more likely cover if your primary care physician is involved in your treatment. Dr. Paris will make his recommendations to your primary physician which tests would be most beneficial in your diagnosis.
Seventy-eight percent of all Americans have some form of periodontal disease and sometimes oral cancer is masked by the overlying periodontal disease. If a patient is concerned about whether they have cancer or not, they should be evaluated by a Board Certified Periodontist to determine what is cancer and what is periodontal infection.