Diagnostic Tools for Oral Mucosa Lesions

Lesions of the oral mucosa represent a diagnostic challenge for dental practitioners, because similar appearances are the final common manifestation of a wide spectrum of conditions, including autoimmune diseases; neoplastic, traumatic, or infectious lesions; nutritional deficiencies; and drug reactions, as well as oral manifestations of systemic diseases. One of the roles of dental practitioners is the identification and management of oral mucosa diseases. While the diagnosis of some oral lesions can be made on the basis of the history and/or clinical findings, for others, the definitive diagnosis requires the aid of some tools with which the general dentist should be familiar