What is the Oral Diagnosis?

A good and correct treatment is possible only with a correct diagnosis. Attempts made for diagnosis in dentistry are called ‘oral diagnosis’. “It is the subject of oral diagnosis to identify all problems inside and outside the mouth and to distinguish between them.

Why Is Oral Diagnosis Important ?

Oral diagnosis is of great importance not only for dentistry but also for systemic diseases. So much so, that some intraoral and extraoral findings may be a precursor to systemic diseases. For example, the first sign of some dermatological diseases starts in the mouth.

Bleeding gums while brushing, a gum disease;

hot or cold sensitivity, dental caries;

Difficulty with chewing; It can be a sign of missing teeth, painful teeth, mismatched dentures, problems in the jaw joint or chewing muscles.

How to make a right diagnosis?

Good oral diagnosis; It is done by intraoral, extraoral and radiological examination. Extraoral examination includes the mouth and surrounding tissues (face, jaws, jaw joint, lips, nose, neck, chin, etc.). Besides, teeth are examined in a systematic order. Gingival recession, plaque, tartar accumulation, presence of fistula, mobility, caries, incompatible restorations, crowding, color, number and deformities are evaluated. After the examination of the teeth one by one, they are also examined in terms of closing and the relationship of the jaws with each other.

Radiologic examination is the method that will support the identification of all these pathologies mentioned above. Panoramic and left and right bite x-rays taken as standard; It gives information about undetected interface caries, chronic lesions, impacted teeth, problems in periodontal tissues (bone destruction), formations in jaw bones, overflow fillings, in addition to these in children, the location of permanent teeth, the formation of roots and resorption of deciduous tooth roots.

Especially in traumatized teeth, periapical x-rays taken at certain intervals serve as a guide for the condition of the tooth, root and its surroundings. In addition, panoramic x-rays of all individuals over the age of 40, whether they have complaints or not, are important in terms of determining diseases and bone pathologies that do not cause clinical symptoms.

Alternative treatment plans can be determined very easily after the detection of all the problems supported by the radiological findings obtained. In short, a successful and conscious treatment approach can be achieved only after a complete and correct oral diagnosis.