Surgery for Oral Cancer Patients

Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania are a crucial part of the care team for anyone in the Philadelphia area facing oral cancer. Not only are our surgeons able to perform soft-tissue biopsies, they are also able to assist with the construction of prosthetic teeth and mouth parts a patient may need following the excision of a tumor.

Sometimes tumors can be cut out of soft tissue, such as the tongue or inside of the lip. But when they are inside or behind a jaw bone, a section of the bone will need to be cut away. Following its removal, the section of bone may be reinserted or replaced with a prosthetic or a bit of donor tissue (possibly from another part of the patient’s body). If the hard palate on the roof of the mouth was removed, it can be replaced with a specialized prosthetic that may also include replacement teeth.

The silver lining of bone replacement is that the new bone tissue may be better suited for receiving implants. There needs to be a certain amount of healthy bone for an implant post to fuse with, and bone grafts are sometimes necessary for people who have been without teeth for a long time. A patient’s oncologist will likely want them to undergo a dental examination prior to radiation treatment to determine whether any pre-existing caries will be aggravated and if any teeth are likely to need replacements.

Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.

 

Lip Biopsies

It is sometimes necessary when diagnosing a patient to take a biopsy, or tissue sample. At the offices of the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we take biopsies of the tongue, mouth, and lip. There are various diseases which could affect these body parts which patients need to be aware of, and this week we’re looking at lip biopsies.

Two of the most common diseases lip biopsies are tested for are oral cancer and Sjögren’s syndrome. Lip cancer is a type of oral cancer and can be recognized by the persistent ulcers, lumps, and discoloration it causes. Fortunately, lip cancer has much higher survival rates than other types of oral cancer due to the ease of detecting it and applying treatment. Diagnosing it requires a sample of the suspicious tissue to be cut away. Sjögren’s syndrome is an inflammatory immune disorder which causes dry mouth and dry eyes. In order to test for it, a biopsy needs to be taken of the salivary glands. There are several of these on the inside of the lower lip which can be plucked easily after the patient has been numbed (and hundreds more throughout the mouth). Once a few glands have been removed, the lip may be sutured. It is recommended that patients do not take anti-inflammatory medicine in the weeks prior to getting a biopsy and that they stick to soft, non-sticky foods until they have healed.

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.