What Are We REALLY Looking For? – Oral Pathology Cases and Concepts 

3-6 continuing education hours-this course can easily be an all-day course

Instructional Objectives:

Upon completion of the session, participants will be able to:

  1. Discuss the importance of current oral pathology knowledge when conducting intra/extra-oral exams. 
  2. Explain the etiology, clinical appearance and treatment options of various oral pathologic conditions.
  3. Compare/contrast lesions that can be considered in a differential diagnosis for each pathologic entity.
  4. Describe oral symptoms of various systemic conditions as presented in cases.
  5. Discuss interdisciplinary collaboration for follow up care for patients presenting with oral signs of systemic disease.

This course is an overview of oral pathologic conditions from Ms. Lukes’ own personal collection of lesion images accumulated over 44 years as a dental hygienist, a 28-year teaching career and 20 years of mission work. Etiology, clinical appearance and treatment options are included for each lesion/condition, highlighting the assessment phase of the process of care. The course includes both common and uncommon conditions, many of which are signs of systemic disease, emphasized in a discussion about interdisciplinary collaboration with other health professionals. Comparison images for inclusion in differential diagnoses will also be presented encouraging dental professionals to utilize all patient information when analyzing lesions. This course can serve as an excellent update for seasoned hygienists/dentists or a relevant review for new graduates entering the field.