Clinical Decision-Making in Oral Medicine 2023

Oral medicine is a complex and challenging clinical field that lies at the intersection of medicine and dentistry. It encompasses a wide range of conditions—such as salivary gland disorders, mucosal diseases, jaw osteonecrosis, neurosensory disorders, and neoplasms—that affect the oral and orofacial region, often leading to pain, disability, and reduced quality of life. These conditions may be limited to the oral cavity or reflect systemic diseases or complications of medical treatments.

Patients with oral medicine conditions may seek care from various healthcare providers, including dentists, physicians, urgent care clinics, or emergency departments. However, despite this broad exposure, there are relatively few clinicians with specialized training in oral medicine, and overall awareness and recognition of these conditions remain inadequate. As a result, misdiagnosis, unnecessary testing, inappropriate treatments, and delayed effective care are common.

This book addresses these challenges by presenting a concise, evidence-based, and clinically practical approach to oral medicine. Led by Dr. Santos-Silva and an international team of experts, it emphasizes logical, step-by-step clinical decision-making that can be applied across diverse healthcare settings. Common problems, such as oral ulceration, are approached systematically to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.

Because oral medicine often requires coordinated, interprofessional care, this reference serves as a shared guide for dentists, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers. More broadly, it highlights the importance of international and interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing the field, with the ultimate goal of improving access to high-quality oral medicine care for all patients.