Oral Pathology Course

Lesson 1 • Scope and History of the Discipline

Traces oral pathology from early descriptions to modern subspecialty status. Contextualizes the field within dentistry and medicine.

Lesson 2 • Cellular and Tissue Pathology Principles

Reviews cell injury, adaptation, and death as they apply to oral tissues. Links general pathology concepts to oral-specific manifestations.

Lesson 3 • Inflammation and Immune Response

Covers acute and chronic inflammation with emphasis on oral mucosal and periodontal contexts. Connects immune mechanisms to common oral lesion presentations.

Lesson 4 • Basic Disease Classification Systems

Introduces etiologic, morphologic, and anatomic classification schemes. Provides the taxonomy students use throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Cytology and Adjunctive Screening Tools

Introduces brush cytology, toluidine blue, and optical adjuncts as screening aids. Clarifies sensitivity and specificity limitations of each tool.

Lesson 2 • Biopsy Principles and Techniques

Covers indications, contraindications, and procedural steps for oral biopsy. Proper technique ensures diagnostic tissue quality and patient safety.

Lesson 3 • Imaging in Oral Pathology Diagnosis

Reviews radiographic and advanced imaging modalities for lesion characterization. Integrates imaging data into the overall diagnostic process.

Lesson 4 • Histopathology Report Interpretation

Teaches structured reading of pathology reports including margins, grade, and diagnosis. Bridges laboratory findings to clinical decision-making.

Lesson 1 • Defects of Enamel and Dentin Formation

Addresses amelogenesis imperfecta, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and environmental enamel defects. Distinguishes hereditary from acquired structural defects.

Lesson 2 • Developmental Anomalies of Teeth

Covers number, size, shape, and structure defects arising during odontogenesis. Connects embryologic disruption timing to specific clinical presentations.

Lesson 3 • Jaw and Facial Development Anomalies

Reviews clefting, hemifacial microsomia, and jaw size discrepancies of developmental origin. Emphasizes multidisciplinary management implications.

Lesson 1 • Sexually Transmitted Oral Infections

Reviews syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV-related oral lesions with diagnostic criteria. Addresses reporting obligations and patient communication.

Lesson 2 • Bacterial Infections and Odontogenic Abscesses

Covers periapical abscess, cellulitis, osteomyelitis, and actinomycosis. Emphasizes spread pathways and systemic risk recognition.

Lesson 3 • Viral Infections of the Oral Mucosa

Addresses herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, HPV, and Coxsackievirus oral manifestations. Distinguishes primary from recurrent presentations.

Lesson 4 • Periodontal Infections and Necrotizing Conditions

Covers necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, periodontitis, and noma pathogenesis. Connects microbial etiology to tissue destruction patterns.

Lesson 1 • Reactive Hyperplastic Lesions

Covers fibroma, pyogenic granuloma, peripheral giant cell granuloma, and epulis. Links chronic irritation to reactive tissue proliferation.

Lesson 2 • Salivary Gland Benign Conditions

Addresses pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin tumor, and benign salivary gland enlargements. Connects gland anatomy to lesion site distribution.

Lesson 3 • Benign Soft Tissue Tumors

Reviews lipoma, neurofibroma, schwannoma, hemangioma, and lymphangioma. Emphasizes clinical clues that guide biopsy decisions.

Lesson 4 • Oral Cysts of Soft Tissue Origin

Covers mucocele, ranula, dermoid cyst, and lymphoepithelial cyst. Distinguishes true cysts from pseudocysts by lining characteristics.

Lesson 1 • Salivary Gland Malignancies

Reviews mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and acinic cell carcinoma. Distinguishes behavior and prognosis across malignant salivary tumors.

Lesson 2 • Oral Epithelial Dysplasia Grading

Covers histologic criteria for mild, moderate, and severe dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. Links dysplasia grade to clinical management decisions.

Lesson 3 • Other Oral Malignancies

Covers melanoma, Kaposi sarcoma, lymphoma, and metastatic lesions in the oral cavity. Highlights diagnostic clues distinguishing these from squamous cell carcinoma.

Lesson 4 • Potentially Malignant Oral Disorders

Defines leukoplakia, erythroplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, and actinic cheilitis by current criteria. Establishes malignant transformation risk hierarchy.

Lesson 1 • Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor and OKC

Addresses odontogenic keratocyst biology, recurrence risk, and association with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Emphasizes aggressive management rationale.

Lesson 2 • Malignant Odontogenic Tumors

Covers ameloblastic carcinoma, primary intraosseous carcinoma, and odontogenic sarcomas. Highlights rarity and diagnostic challenges of these entities.

Lesson 3 • Inflammatory and Developmental Odontogenic Cysts

Covers radicular cyst, dentigerous cyst, lateral periodontal cyst, and glandular odontogenic cyst. Links cyst origin to radiographic appearance.

Lesson 4 • Benign Odontogenic Tumors

Reviews ameloblastoma, odontoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, and calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor. Distinguishes behavior and recurrence risk.

Lesson 1 • Genetic Syndromes with Oral Features

Covers Down syndrome, Papillon-Lefevre syndrome, Gardner syndrome, and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Identifies oral findings that prompt genetic referral.

Lesson 2 • Drug-Induced Oral Conditions

Addresses gingival enlargement, xerostomia, osteonecrosis, and lichenoid reactions from medications. Connects drug class to specific oral adverse effects.

Lesson 3 • Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Disorders

Reviews lupus erythematosus, Sjogren syndrome, pemphigus, and pemphigoid oral features. Emphasizes biopsy and immunofluorescence in diagnosis.

Lesson 4 • Hematologic Disorders and Oral Signs

Covers anemia, leukemia, thrombocytopenia, and coagulation disorders as they present orally. Links mucosal pallor, petechiae, and gingival changes to systemic disease.