OC 6 - screening (benign lesions)

Question 1

What are aphthous ulcers?

Answer 1

~20% of the population suffer from aphthous ulcers

• small, tend to be painful, tend to disappear within a couple weeks
• can be singular or more likely to appear in crops
• can be associated with hormones, stress, and some people just predisposed

Question 2

What is a lipoma?

Answer 2

• made of adipose tissue
• soft and squidgy
• can occur anywhere in the oral cavity, often in buccal mucosa
• can be there for a long time
• not painful or tender, quite mobile
• can become large, interfere with mastication, and become traumatised

Question 3

What is a mucocoele?

Answer 3

• small cyst from minor salivary gland
• often caused by trauma causing small rupture in duct that drains salivary gland, saliva drained into the tissue causing small balloon filled with saliva

Question 4

What is an epulis?

Answer 4

• a swelling on the gum
• can be caused by chronic irritation

Question 5

What is a leaf fibroma?

Answer 5

• Lesion seen growing underneath dentures
• Starts of as a small epithelial growth caused by chronic irritation, and because it’s compressed by the denture it becomes a flattened growth
• Develops from a small stalk - peduncle attaching it to anterior part of hard palate
• Local anaesthetic and cut off and sent to be analysed
• Generally associated with ill fitting dentures

Question 6

What is denture induced hyperplasia?

Answer 6

• Caused by ill-fitting dentures, often worn 24/7
• Hyper plastic, extra folds of tissue that engulf both the inner and outer surfaces of denture
• Patient’s don’t tend to complain until it become’s ulcerated and painful
• Treatment is excision

Question 7

How would you treat severe denture induced hyperplasia?

Answer 7

in severe cases, denture most likely hasn’t been taken out since it was inserted

• excision
• may need systemic antifungals for candidal infection
• improvement of denture hygiene
• reduction of the soft tissue
• placement of denture with soft lining
• allow a period of healing
• have a new denture made

Question 8

What is papillary hyperplasia?

Answer 8

• caused by instability of denture, rotates at post arm region
• suction effect on palate, causing small papillary overgrowths on the midline of the palate
• candida infection usually also present

Question 9

What is a papilloma?

Answer 9

• Caused by low risk HPV types
• Excision including some of the underlying tissue to reduce risk of re-growth
• Sent for histological examination

Question 10

What is a torus palatinus?

Answer 10

• Laying down of bone
• Only becomes a problem when it become’s so big it becomes traumatised during mastication or if it’s underneath a complete denture
• Tends to have a thin mucosal layer so easily traumatised
• Surgically excised if patient wishes

Question 11

What are tori mandibularis?

Answer 11

• When on the mandible, these tend to occur on the lingual aspect of the alveolus bilaterally
• Not usually symmetrical, get bigger with age and can become traumatised
• Removed surgically