Oral Pathology

This specialized branch of dentistry deals with the detailed study and identification of the pathologic process affecting the oral and maxillofacial region by correlating the clinical, radiographic and mainly microscopic studies.

Dental students are initiated into the normal morphologic and histological features of the tooth and oral structures through regular tooth carving exercises and slide discussions. Further they are introduced into the embryological changes that result in the formation of tooth. In third year the students are taught in detail about the pathological variations involved in diseases related to oral structures. The students are trained in practices of oral pathology including histopathology, exfoliative cytology and the more recent additions like immunohistochemistry, PCR and In-situ Hybridization etc.

Since a vast majority of the diseases affecting the oral regions are infections caused by micro organisms, the study of Oral Microbiology is also included within this speciality. The department caters to the micro-diagnosis of oral lesions, thereby contributing to the exact recognition of the disease and charting the patient management including incidences of premalignancies and oral cancer. A brief overview of forensic dentistry is also part of the curriculum.