Oral Pathology

Here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we provide oral pathology procedures. If your doctor finds any suspicious bumps, lumps, or spots on the lips, gums, inside the cheeks or on the tongue, they will perform more tests through oral pathology. Your doctor will inspect your nose, mouth and throat. 

Before beginning oral pathology, we look for common signs and symptoms of oral cancer, such as the following:

 

• Sores in the mouth or gums that bleed and don’t heal


• Red or white patches in the mouth


• Chronic sore throat or hoarseness of the throat


• Difficulty with chewing or swallowing


• Thickening or lumps of the skin inside the mouth

 

During oral pathology, a biopsy may be needed. We remove a very small piece of tissue in the mouth and run it through a series of tests. The tissue is removed under anesthesia so no pain is experienced. At the laboratory, a pathologist looks for signs of cancer cells, which can take about two weeks to complete. If results are positive for oral cancer, we consult the patient about their next steps.

We push our patients to be diligent about their oral health, even encouraging them to perform self-examinations at home. If you feel that you might need an oral pathology consultation, please visit our website www.oralsurgerypa.com to schedule an appointment.