Oral Pathology

A lesion in the mouth is called oral pathology whether it’s a good type (benign) or a bad type (malignant). When a lesion is observed, a base diagnosis is formed. If the cause of the lesion can be determined quite often the lesion can be eliminated by altering the stimulus. an example is a fibroma caused by check biting. If the cause of the lesion can’t be found or if the lesion is suspicious, then a biopsy is recommended.

Biopsies are performed by Dr. Elizabeth Philipone, a Board Certified Oral Pathologist. the results of the biopsy are usually returned by fax to our office within 5 days time. A hard copy of the biopsy will arrive about 1 week after the procedure.

The majority of oral lesions, more than 96%, are benign and harmless. It is the 4% that are plastic types and malignent types that we are searching for when a biopsy is performed. Some benign lesions may require another biopsy repeated several years later, if its clinical description becomes suspicious.