Clinical Decision-Making in Oral Medicine. A Concise Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

Part I. Clinical Protocols for Oral Diagnosis
History Taking and Physical Examination
Standardization in Oral Photography
Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology and Exfoliative Cytology
Biopsy of the Oral Mucosa and Histological Assessment
Protocol for Breaking Bad News
Part II. Reactive Lesions and Non-Neoplastic Proliferative Processes
Traumatic Oral Ulcer
Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis
Desquamative Gingivitis
Non-neoplastic Proliferative Processes
Giant Cell Granuloma
Part III. Common Oral Infections
Oral Candidiasis
Oral Herpes
Part IV. Salivary Gland Diseases and Tumors
Xerostomia (Dry Mouth)
Mucus Extravasation and Retention Phenomena
Minor Salivary Gland Tumors
Part V. Vascular Diseases
Vascular Anomalies of the Oral Mucosa
Part VI. Mucocutaneous Diseases
Oral Lichen Planus
Pemphigus and Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid
Part VII. Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Cancer
Actinic Cheilitis
Oral Leukoplakia and Erythroplakia
Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Part VIII. Oral Management Strategies for Patients with Special Needs
Oral Management of Cancer Patients After Multimodality Therapy
Management of Patients at Risk of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Oral Management of the Organ and Tissue Transplant Patient
Oral Management of Patients Undergoing Antithrombotic Therapy
Management of Oral Lesions in HIV-Positive Patients
Management of Patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome
Management of Oral Lesions in COVID-19 Patients

Accurately diagnosing the myriad of diseases that can affect the mouth, guiding patients correctly, and offering treatment with competence is a permanent challenge for dental surgeons and health professionals. Often, the diagnosis of these diseases is neglected or wrongly performed. This concise book guides health professionals in clinical decision making in oral diseases, assisting them not only on the diagnosis and treatment of oral and maxillofacial diseases, but also in terms of value and benefit of who treats the condition and, above all, who will be treated. The work provides guidelines formulated by a compilation of specific protocols of conduct, focusing on the scientific evidence and enriched by the authors’ critical analyses. The book is divided into eight main sections that include twenty-eight chapters. Most of them have no more than 5 pages and follow the same format to standardize their use. Each chapter begins with a summary of the topic, a brief description of the main disease that fall into this diagnostic category, and their main definitions. Then, the clinical characteristics, ways of making the diagnosis, and a protocol for treatment for each lesion are presented. Additionally, the experienced authors interestingly discuss their perceptions on how to give bad news in the Oral Medicine setting; and the last section is especially dedicated to the dental management of medically complex patients or with little-known diseases, such as Burning Mouth Syndrome and COVID-19. More than 140 high resolution clinical images illustrate the book. Clinical Decision-Making in Oral Medicine targets is designed for health professionals and physicians from various specialties, who are interested in diseases with systemic repercussions that affect the oral and maxillofacial complex and in oral repercussions of treatments for complex diseases such as head and neck cancer. Students in dentistry may also find the book of value.