Soft Tissue
Aphthous Ulcers
Aphthous ulcers - commonly known as canker sores - are small, painful sores that occur on the oral mucosa (the pink tissue that lines the inside of the mouth). They are the most common ulcer that affects the mouth, yet their cause is unknown. Many ...

Apical Cyst
An apical periodontal cyst, also called a radicular cyst, is a mass of soft tissue that is characterized by having a fluid-filled central cavity (called a lumen) that develops around the lower 1/3 of a tooth root, either at the bottom or along the ...

Biopsy
If we cannot easily diagnose a growth or lesion by examining it visually, we will often recommend a biopsy. When we perform a biopsy, we surgically remove tissue - either a small, representative portion, or the entire lesion - then send it to a ...

Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a severe, rapidly-spreading bacterial infection that results from an uncontrolled infection in the gums, tooth pulp or root end (apex). It normally starts close to the source of the original infection, and quickly spreads to involve ...

Dental Fistula
A dental fistula (also called a parulis or a gum boil) forms in response to an infection at the base of the tooth's root (called the apex). They can also form in reaction to an abscess, cyst or other inflammation within the mouth. Fistulae are ...

Denture Hyperplasia
Denture hyperplasia is characterized by a smooth, tumor-like mass that forms within the space between the cheek and the gums (the vestibular sulcus) in response to chronic irritation caused by the flange of a poorly-fitting denture. It also occurs ...

Epi. Carcinoma
Epidermoid, or squamous, carcinoma is often characterized by rapid-growing lesions that vary tremendously in appearance; they can be red or white, smooth or rough, ulcerated or not ulcerated, and elevated or depressed. The ulcerated lesions extend ...

Epithelial Dysplasia
Epithelial dysplasia refers to microscopic changes in the cells that makeup the outer layer of the mouth's lining (the mucosa), similar to changes usually seen in cancers in the same location. The changes associated with epithelial dysplasia can ...

Epithelial Hyperplasia
Epithelial hyperplasia is a thickening of the outer layer of the mucosa (the lining of the inside of the mouth) and the skin. This outer layer is called the epithelium. The degree of thickening can vary greatly. Sometimes it may even go unnoticed. ...

Fibroepithelial Polyp
Fibroepithelial polyps are small, round, knob-like growths that can form anywhere on the mucosa (the pink tissue lining the inside of the mouth), but are most common on the tongue and the lips. They are frequently caused by minor irritation or ...

Fibroma
Most fibromas of the oral cavity are caused by long-term irritation or trauma, such as persistent cheek or lip biting. They consist of increased numbers of normal cells (called hyperplasia) that are fibrous in nature. They can be found anywhere in ...

Fissurd Tongue
The top surface of a normal tongue is typically smooth, with a slight groove down the center (called the midline). However, if you were to look at your tongue under a strong magnifying glass or microscope, you would see that the top surface is ...

Foliate Papilla
Foliate papilla are crescent-shaped nodules or ridges that exist along the sides of the rear of the tongue. They occur normally and are not associated with any localized or systemic disease. Foliate papilla often occur in clusters of tissue, ...

Fordyce Granules
Fordyce granules are yellow or yellowish-white clusters of pimple-like formations just beneath the mucosa (the pink tissue covering the inside of the oral cavity). They usually occur on the inside of the lips and cheeks or in the corners of the ...

Granulatation Tissue
Granulation tissue is the fleshy new growth that forms on the surface of a wound as it heals. This tissue is usually firm, or even hard, and has a red, velvety, 'beefy' appearance because of the large number of small blood vessels within it. It may ...

Hairy Tongue
Hairy tongue is a chronic condition in which the tiny bumps on the tongue's surface (called filiform papillae) enlarge and elongate to form hair-like projections. Normally, the surface cells of the papillae are shed on a regular basis, keeping the ...

Hypecementosis
Enamel covers the portion of the tooth above the gumline. Cementum covers the portion below the gumline (the root surface). Hypercementosis is the thickening or increased deposit of cementumon the root surface. It may involve the entire root ...

Lateral Abscess
A lateral periodontal abscess is a result of rapidly-growing bacteria within a periodontal pocket. A periodontal pocket forms in the presence of periodontal disease, as the gums become infected and pull away from the surface of the teeth. This ...

Leukoedema
Leukoedema is characterized by a widespread whitening of the inner lining of the cheek or other mouth tissues, due to an increase in the amount of fluid being retained by the skin's cells. Leukoedema is persistent, and is most common in individuals ...

Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia is a white patch-like lesion that develops on the mucous membranes within the mouth in response to chronic irritation. The lesions occur primarily on the tongue and the inside of the cheek, but also occur frequently on the inner or ...

Lichen Planus
Lichen planus is a disease that occurs within the mouth or on the skin, or may involve both sites. There are three types of lichen planus. The most common type is reticular lichen planus, discussed below. The second type is erosive lichen planus, a ...

Lymph. Hyperplasia
Lymphoid hyperplasia is not a disease or a tumor, but simply a term we use to represent enlarged tissue masses. Normal lymphoid tissue is found in your lymph nodes and tonsils. These tissues act as your body's first line of defense against ...

Migratory Glossitis
The top surface of a normal tongue is typically smooth, with a slight groove down the center (called the midline). However, if you were to look at your tongue under a strong magnifying glass or microscope, you would see that the top surface is ...

Mucocele
Mucoceles, or mucus retention cysts, are harmless mucus-filled lesions that are most common on the inner surface of the lower lip, but can also appear on the floor of the mouth and the inner lining (mucosa) of the cheek. They are believed to be ...

Nicotine Stomatitis
Nicotine stomatitis is a lesion that develops on the hard or soft palate of some smokers. It appears as white with raised red dots; the red areas represent inflamed ducts of the minor mucous glands. The surface usually has a rough texture, which ...

Papillary Hyperplasia
Papillary hyperplasia is the existence of multiple small, merging pimple-like lesions within the mouth for an extended period of time. They usually vary in color from pink to red, and exist primarily on the roof of the mouth. The condition mostly ...

Papilloma
Papillomas are slow-growing, soft lesions that are sometimes caused by a virus. They can also spread through direct contact with the mouth's lining (the mucosa). Papillomas can occur at any age, and can be found anywhere on the skin but typically ...

Periapical Abscess
A periapical abscess is an infection at the base or root end of the tooth (called the apex), and usually encompasses the bottom 1/3 of the tooth root. The abscess is a collection of pus that develops in response to a bacterial infection within the ...

Periapical Granuloma
A periapical granuloma is a relatively common lesion or growth that develops around the tip of a tooth's root. It consists of a proliferating mass of granulation tissue (new tissue that forms on a wound) and bacteria that forms in response to dead ...

Pericoronitis
Pericoronitis is a red swelling of the soft tissues that surround the crown of a tooth that has only partially grown in (erupted). The swelling ranges from soft to firm. It can progress to become a knob-like mass of tissue that is very painful when ...

Periodontitis
Periodontitis is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. It is characterized by an inflammation and/or degeneration of the tissues that give support to the teeth - namely the gums, the connective tissue (the periodontal ligament), and the ...

Peripheral Fibroma
Peripheral ossifying fibromas are well-defined oral growths that contain bone tissue. They are most often found attached to the gums near the molars or premolars, and are usually connected either by a wide base of tissue or by a stalk-like growth. ...

Pyo. Granulomas
Pyogenic granulomas are painless, localized, spherical (ball-shaped) lesions that are most common on the gums, but they can also occur on the lips, tongue, the inside of the cheek, and occasionally on other areas in the mouth. They often occur as a ...

Recurrent Herpes
Recurrent herpes simplex is a viral infection that occurs repeatedly in individuals who have experienced the primary infection (usually a more severe episode). Lesions associated with the disease - called herpetic lesions, or more commonly, cold ...

Smokeless Tobacco
Copyright 2003 CAESY Education Systems, Inc. Smokeless tobacco users are at high risk of developing the following: * Cancer of the mouth, tongue, and pharynx (''voice box'') * Leukoplakia (thickened, whitish oral lesions that can ...

Torus Mandibularis
A torus mandibularis is a slow-growing, tumor-like bony growth that develops on the inside (lingual) surface of the lower jaw bone (the mandible). Tori are smooth, and can be either broad and flat or knob-shaped. They vary considerably in size, ...

Traumatic Ulcer
An ulcer is a depressed lesion that results from a loss of the the outer layer of the skin or mucosa (the lining of the mouth). Ulcers can be superficial (shallow) or deep, with regular or irregular outlines and flat or raised margins. Traumatic ...

Trigeminal Neuralgia
Facial pain is often blamed on TMD - a complex disorder in the jaw joint (the temporomandibular joint). But if you experience fleeting episodes of intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain around your lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, or upper ...

Varices
Varices are localized blood vessels that become dilated (or swollen), then develop into persistent, soft, blister-like lesions. Their color may range from blue to gray to purple, depending on the depth of the lesion and the condition of the blood ...

Xerostemia
Xerostomia - or dry mouth - occurs when the salivary glands don't function properly. This can either be a symptom of a serious health condition, or a side effect of a medication, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Dry mouth may also occur as a ...

Hard Tissue
Condensing Osteitis
Condensing osteitis is a change in the density of the bone that usually occurs as a result of a low-grade infection or chronic irritation to the tissue surrounding the root of a tooth. This irritation or infection is frequently part of the body's ...

Dentigerous Cyst
Dentigerous cysts are smooth, firm, soft tissue growths that can develop on any tooth that has not grown in (erupted) completely. They form from the follicular sac, a membrane that surrounds the crown portion of every tooth before it erupts fully ...

Enamel Hypoplasia
Enamel hypoplasia is a disturbance in the tooth's development that causes incomplete or defective formation of the outer enamel layer of forming teeth. It can occur on any tooth, primary or permanent, and appears as tiny pits, grooves, areas with ...

Exostosis
An exostosis is a slow-growing, tumor-like bony growth that is typically found on the outer surface of the upper gums, on the roof of the mouth (the palate), or on the inner surface of the lower gums. Exostoses can also occur at any other site ...

Microdontia
Microdontia is literally "small teeth." When this condition is present, one or more teeth have shortened roots and are smaller than normal, or they are cone-shaped or malformed in some other way. It commonly affects a single tooth or a pair of ...

Odont. Keratocyst
Odontogenic keratocysts are soft, slow-growing lesion usually found in the lower jaw. They present themselves a as smooth swelling that can vary greatly in size, from a small, well-defined growth to an extremely large mass with many sections. It ...

Osteosclerosis
Osteosclerosis is an abnormal change in the density of bone, not unlike a similar condition, condensing osteitis. However, there is often no obvious cause of osteosclerosis. Osteosclerosis lesions usually have a more dense appearance and show an ...

Pulp Stones
Pulp stones are hard, bone-like structures that form within the pulp of a tooth, either within the crown or within the root's canal. They are usually detected on x-ray examination, unless they are too small or are not dense enough to show up on an ...

Tooth Abrasion
Tooth abrasion is the permanent loss of tooth structure that can occur on the tooth's cutting surface, the outer enamel layer, exposed root surfaces, and non-enamel surfaces. It is caused primarily by improper brushing - usually overly vigorous or ...

Tooth Attrition
Tooth attrition is the loss of tooth structure that can result from tooth-to-tooth contact during biting or chewing. It occurs primarily on the the biting or chewing surfaces of teeth, but it can also occur on what we call the proximal areas, where ...

Torus Palatinus
A torus palatinus is a slow-growing, tumor-like bony growth that develops on the midline of the roof of the mouth. Tori are smooth, and can be either broad and flat, or knob-shaped. They can exist in clusters or as singular growths. They will vary ...