Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology

“As is our pathology, so is our practice.”- Sir William Osler

Oral pathology, an essential branch of Dentistry deals with diagnosis of various oral and maxillofacial pathologies and serves to plan and execute various treatment modalities. It forms an interphase between medical sciences and clinical dentistry. The scope of Oral pathology is not only confined to head and neck pathologies, but also involves entire human body. A unique field in its own way, which utilizes histopathology, cytopathology, hematology, immunohistochemistry, microbiology, molecular science and forensic odontology for accurate diagnosis. The department has a sophisticated laboratory equipped with basic microscopes to advanced diagnostic aids.

A thorough knowledge, skill, and expertise is required to handle these specialized equipment’s, to institute appropriate patient care

Basic knowledge in dentistry is thought in this specialty where students are trained to familiarize medical and terminologies commonly used in the field of dentistry. The importance and understanding of the morphological characteristics of different types of human teeth and the dental symbols used by the international associations will form major part of initial teaching in this course. The practical part includes carving of human teeth in wax which would help students learn the morphology of the teeth and simultaneously improve their psychomotor skills. Similarly they are thought anatomy and histology of tooth and structures surrounding the tooth.

We train budding dental professionals to attain knowledge about the normal histology and disease state of oral and surrounding tissues. This subject provides adequate knowledge regarding changes occurring in tissues at the gross and microscopic levels which will enable the student to diagnose oral diseases by interpreting the histopathologic findings, and thus forms the background knowledge of all subjects associated with dentistry.