Oral medicine

In the dental clinic Dávalos & Balboa, in Murcia, we are specialists in the early diagnosis and in the treatment of pathologies and diseases of the oral mucosa, which can be precursors of very serious diseases, such as oral cancer.

Oral Medicine or oral medicine is the part of dentistry that is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the oral cavity, both of the diseases that originate in their tissues, as well as the affectation caused by general diseases in the structures of the oral cavity and in the stomatognathic apparatus.

Dr. Balboa has been a Specialist in Oral Medicine since 2006 by the Complutense University of Madrid. We must be aware that there are many pathologies of the oral cavity that may go unnoticed, because initially they are asymptomatic, and that they can become very serious, so periodic review by a specialist is essential for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

The diagnosis in oral medicine begins with the clinical examination of the oral cavity with a specialist familiar with this branch. As it is often said in Oral Medicine: “Cancer in the mouth is seen and touched”, that is, the oral mucosa test does not require invasive techniques most of the time and is easily explorable. The first thing to do in a dental check-up is the exploration of the mucous membranes (lips, tongue, cheeks, hard and soft palate, floor of the mouth) and the jaws, at least annually. In some cases it is necessary to perform complementary tests such as x-rays, microbiological examinations or biopsies to be able to reach an accurate diagnosis, but the first preventive measure is to go regularly to our specialized dentist. Do not hesitate to contact us.

The treatment of these diseases is very varied and will depend on the type of injury and the cause.

The diseases that we find most frequently are:

• Bacterial Diseases of the Oral Mucosa: Acute Ulceronecrotizing Gingivitis, ORal Tuberculosis, Oral Syphilis.
• Oral Mycoses: Mainly candidiasis, such as Pseudomembranous Candidiasis, Erythematous Candidiasis and Chronic Hyperplastic Candidiasis.
• Viral Mucosal Infections: Infections due to herpes virus family, Hairy Leukoplakia (Epstein-Barr Virus), Kaposi Sarcoma, infections due to human papillomavirus family.
• Recurrent aphthous stomatitis
• Leukoplakia and Erythroplasia
• Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia
• Pemphigus and Oral Pemphigoids
• Lichen Planus Oral and Lichenoid Reactions
• Erythema multiforme
• Pathology of the Salivary Glands: Sialiadenitis, Sialoadenosis, Sjögren’s Syndrome and Salivary Gland Tumors.
• Lupus and Scleroderma
• Neuropathies and Burning Mouth Syndrome
• Oral cancer: Oral squamous cell carcinoma, Salivary gland cancers, …