PAGD Keystone Explorer Spring 2021

Keystone Explorer | Spring 2021 15 As dental care providers it is our top priority to ensure that our patients are accurately diagnosed, educated, and protected from oral diseases. This is true when it comes to pathology in the oral cavity, especially for potentially dangerous disease processes like aggressive and malignant tumors. Some patients are not aware of the pathology occurring in them, so it is our job as dental professionals to give our patients an idea of each step of the process of handling dangerous pathology. Prior to the Diagnosis Perform a thorough head and neck examination to ensure you find all signs of the disease process. Be sure to obtain an accurate history of the patient’s medical, dental, and social history. Make sure that you do your best to discover any potentially risky habits or behaviors your patient may take part in (smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, poor diet). This information may be a helpful link to the final diagnosis. Document an accurate description of the lesion(s) in your patient’s dental chart. This is an important step as it can help you with your clinical impression and come up with differential diagnoses. Clinicians should provide a clear picture of the disease process when talking to their patients and referring clinicians who may become involved with the case. When discussing the pathology with the patient, use terminology the patient can comprehend. This is not the time to show off your oral pathology skills. The patient needs to have a clear understanding of your findings and what steps are needed to obtain a diagnosis and future therapy. Many patients feel anxiety once they are told that there may be something wrong, so you may need to explain the process to them multiple times and give them an opportunity to ask questions. Speak slowly and pause and ask the patient if they have any questions if you feel there is any confusion. Use radiographs, intra/extraoral photos, or mirrors to show the patient the affected areas. Using visual aids gives the patient an idea of where the lesion is located and helps the dentist explain why it needs to be addressed. Avoid telling the patient a definitive diagnosis prior to receiving the biopsy report. Lesions can sometimes look more ominous in appearance but may be reactive or non-aggressive benign How to Address Worrisome Oral Pathology Dr. Rashida Wiley “Many patients feel anxiety once they are told that there may be something wrong, so you may need to explain the process to them multiple times and give them an opportunity to ask questions.” dentistry issues Q