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EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2007 | Volume
: 11
| Issue : 1 | Page : 1 |
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Editorial
B Sivapathasundharam
Dept. of Oral and Maxillo Facial Pathology, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Tamilnadu, India
Correspondence Address:
B Sivapathasundharam
Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Pathology, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Alapakkam Main Road, Maduravoyal, Chennai - 600 095, Tamilnadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0973-029X.33953
How to cite this article:
Sivapathasundharam B. Editorial. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2007;11:1 |
The subject of oral pathology, now christened as oral and maxillofacial pathology, serves as a platform for the budding dental graduate to learn the basics of oral disease and is a link between the basic sciences and clinical dental sciences. Besides providing an insight into the pathologic basis of various diseases and conditions affecting the oral and maxillofacial region, this subject assists the students in diagnosing these disorders based on systematic and methodical clinico-pathological correlation. The question of the time is, however, about what we teach the students in oral pathology.
The present dental curriculum necessitates the study of a plethora of oral and maxillofacial diseases, ranging from the common dental caries and periodontal diseases to the rare connective tissue malignancies, bone disorders, metabolic disturbances, and the like. The dental student, who is left with no alternative but to read and master the sea of knowledge in oral pathology, finally ends up reading topics which he/she finds interesting or those topics which were taught well by the staff. We thus find students who struggle to describe the clinical appearance of the most common oral disease, dental caries, whereas he/she can elaborate on the microscopic variations of rhabdomyosarcoma or the immunohistochemical profile of various tumors.
Mastering oral pathology necessitates extensive reading and practical training which takes a minimum of two complete years. Given the limited time available to the dental student and the need to master few more subjects in third year BDS, it is imperative to revise and formulate a new curriculum that stresses on the frequently encountered oral diseases, with only a mention about the rarities. It is high time we teach the students more about dental caries, pulpal and periapical diseases, periodontal pathology, oral cancer, dental disorders, orofacial infections, oral injuries, and healing of oral wounds. Topics such as odontogenic and non-odontogenic tumors, rare developmental disorders, salivary gland pathology, metabolic and systemic diseases, bone and skin lesions, and hematological conditions should only be briefed about. Since these lesions are rarely encountered in a dental clinic, it suffices if the dental student has the knowledge to refer these cases to the appropriate specialists, as required.
With warm regards
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