Oral Medicine in Primary Care [oral med SCR overview] Flashcards
Patients complaining of oral ulceration should be asked a number of questions prior to physical examination, what are they?
- is the ulceration painful?
- how many ulcers do you have?
- how long have you suffered?
- which sites in mouth are affected?
- has this type of ulceration happened before?
- have you recently started any drug therapy?
What types of ulceration are more commonly seen in children/adolescents?
- traumatic ulceration
- aphthous stomatitis
- acute viral infection
A patient gives you a history of previous episodes of ulceration, what further questions must you ask these patients?
- which site in mouth?
- how long take to heal?
- how many ulcers do you get at one time?
- ulcers elsewhere on body?
- any factors that predispose you to ulcers?
- any allergies?
What are some potential causes of traumatic ulceration?
- toothbrush
- cheek biting
- rough area of tooth/restoration
How would you treat a patient that presents with traumatic ulceration?
- removal of any persistent traumatic factor
- antiseptic MW chlorhexidine 0.2%
- review in 3 weeks
A patient with suspected traumatic ulceration has been treated (removed stimulus & prescribed chlorhexidine) yet the ulcer persists longer than 3 weeks, what do you do?
Biopsy for histopathological investigation
What is stomatitis artefacta?
self-induced ulceration [self-harm]
How might an ‘aspirin-burn’ type traumatic ulcer present?
sloughing erosion at site where aspirin was placed/held [dissolution of aspirin is acidic causing burns]
What are the subtypes of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (recurrent oral ulceration)?
- minor
- major
- herpetiform
What is the most common type of recurrent aphthous stomatitis?
minor RAS
How does minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis present clinically?
- small ovoid / circular lesions (5-9mm diameter)
- non-keratinised sites
- anterior part of oral cavity
- tend to have 1-5 ulcers at a time
- tends not to scar
How long does minor RAS take to heal roughly?
10-14 days
How does major RAS tend to present clinically?
- larger lesions (<1cm diameter)
- keratinised sites
- posterior mouth
- leaves residual scarring
How long does major RAS tend to last?
several weeks
What are some proposed aetiological factors of RAS?
- haematinics deficiency
- psychological [stress]
How does herpetiform RAS present clinically?
- multiple small round ulcers (between 10-50)
- can be so numerous they coalesce to form large irregular ulceration
- 10-14 days healing time
- no scarring
You suspect a patient has RAS due to anaemia, what blood tests should you do and how are these patients managed?
- FBC, ferritin levels, haemoglobin levels
- replacement haematinic therapy tends to resolve ulceration
Hypersensitivity can be implicated in RAS, give some examples that may trigger this?
- chocolate
- tomatoes
- benzoic acid
- sodium lauryl sulphate
If you suspect that RAS is as a result of hypersensitivity reaction, what investigation may be useful?
Patch testing to detect potential allergens
How should suspected RAS be managed in primary dental care at the initial visit?
- full history of complaint
- prescribe chlorhexidine 0.2% or benzydamine 0.15%, 3 times daily
- dietary advice
- avoid toothpaste with SLS
When should a patient with suspected RAS be reviewed after initial examination, what should be involved?
Review after 4 weeks
- if symptomatic improvement, maintain initial management
- prescribe doxycycline 100mg tablet dissolved in water & rinsed in mouth for 2 mins, 3x daily
- prescribe beclometasone, 2 puffs directly onto ulcers twice daily
- betamethasone tablets dissolved in 10ml water 4x daily
What precipitating factors enable proliferation of the bacteria that causes necrotising gingivitis?
- smoking/tobacco
- stress
- immune deficiency (eg HIV)
What bacteria causes Syphilis?
Treponema pallidum
What is associated with the use of the potassium channel activator Nicorandil?
oral ulceration
What virus can cause oral ulceration, particularly in children? What is the characteristic sign?
coxsackie group A virus
- involvement of posterior part of mouth
How is coxsackie virus induced ulceration treated?
Symptomatic management
- antiseptic mouthwash (chlorhexidine 0.2%)
How long does a solitary ulcer have to last before it should be considered as potential mouth cancer?
3 weeks (with no improvement)
What is meant by the term erythroplakia?
red patch that cannot be characterised as any known disease
What erythematous conditions are commonly seen in primary care?
- chronic erythematous candidosis
- geographic tongue
What patients cannot be prescribed miconazole?
pts taking warfarin
How should angular chelitis be managed in primary care?
- provide topical antimicrobial to erythematous tissuess
- improve denture hygiene
- reduce sugar intake
- rinse after inhaler use
How should chronic erythematous candidosis (induced by denture wearing) be managed?
application of miconazole oromucosal gel to the fitting surface of appliance 4x a day
What is this patient suffering from?
angular chelitis
What condition is this patient suffering from?
orofacial granulomatosis (with associated angular chelitis)
What condition is this patient suffering from?
erythematous candidosis
What patient groups are predisposed to pseudomembranous candidosis & erythematous candidosis?
- pt taking inhaled corticosteroids
- cytotoxics or broad-spectrum antibiotics
- nutritional deficiencies
- pt with serious systemic disease eg leukaemia or HIV infection
What condition is this patient suffering from?
acute erythematous candidosis on the soft palate
Why can inhaled steroids predispose a pt to developing acute erythematous candidosis ?
steroids suppress host defence system locally & promotes candidal colonisation
What condition is this patient suffering from?
acute erythematous candidosis on dorsum of tongue
What condition is this patient suffering from?
geographical tongue
What condition is this patient suffering from?
geographical tongue with fissured tongue
What condition is this patient suffering from?
white sponge naevus
what causes white sponge naevus?
autosomal dominant inherited disorder
does white sponge naevus require treatment?
benign condition so no
What condition is this patient suffering from?
Fordyce’s Spots (ectopic sebaceous glands)
What condition is this patient suffering from?
Linea Alba (frictional keratosis from cheek biting)
What condition is this patient suffering from?
aspirin burn
What condition is this patient suffering from?
pseudomembranous candidosis
How does chronic hyperplastic candidosis characteristically present?
bilaterally in the commissure region as homogenous/speckled white lesions
What is the most important local factor for development of chronic hyperplastic candidosis?
smoking!
How is chronic hyperplastic candidosis diagnosed?
Biopsy with histopathological examination which shows:
- candida hyphae in the epithelium
How should chronic hyperplastic candidosis be treated?
- systemic fluconazole 50mg/14 days
- smoking cessation advice
- more frequent check up exams due to known incidence of malignant change associated
what condition is this patient suffering from?
chronic hyperplastic candidosis
what condition is this patient suffering from?
reticular lichen planus
How is lichen planus managed in primary care? What are the options?
- Beclomethasone spray 50micrograms puff 2x daily
- Betamethasone 0.5mg tablet dissolved in 10ml of water, MW 2 mins 3x a day
- Prednisolone 0.5mg tablet dissolved in 10ml of water, MW 2 mins 3x daily
What suggests that a lesion is a lichenoid reaction and not lichen planus?
Asymmetry & palate involvement = suggest lichenoid reaction
What typically causes a lichenoid reaction?
- contact with restorative material
- adverse event associated with systemic drug therapy
What dental material is linked to causing lichenoid reactions when in contact with mucosa?
amalgam
what condition is this patient suffering from?
lichenoid reaction to amalgam
What drugs are most frequently implicated in a lichenoid reaction?
- NSAIDs
- ACE inhibitors
- beta blockers
- oral hypoglycaemic agents
- antimalarials
What are the 2 forms of Lupus Erythematosus?
- systemic (SLE)
- discoid (DLE)
How might lupus erythematosus present in the oral cavity?
oral white patches which resemble lichen planus