Cosmetic or esthetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance of a person’s teeth, gums, bite and overall smile. Common procedures include teeth whitening, veneers, tooth-coloured fillings, and implants.

Oral medicine is a non-surgical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and management of pathologic lesions in the head and neck region that differ from ‘normal’ appearance. In many cases, conditions are managed medically with the use of topical and systemic medications or require biopsy for further analysis.

This involves diagnosis and management of patients with:

• Oral mucosal and salivary gland diseases
• Oral complications resulting from systemic disease
• Oral complications from cancer treatment
• Diagnosis of abnormal conditions of the head and neck region
• Orofacial pain including temporomandibular disorders

A thorough clinical examination of the lesion by an Oral Pathologist is supplemented with digital imaging using intra-oral and/or extra-oral radiographs (panoramic or 3D CBCT scans). Further procedures limited to diagnostic biopsies, small excisions, therapeutic injections, and other minor surgical interventions may be required.