What are the Types of Pathological Diseases?
There are several different types of oral pathological diseases:
Hairy Tongue: This particular issue is caused by bacterial overgrowth. As a result, your tongue looks almost black in color and appears hairy. While commonly caused by neglected oral hygiene, it can also be the result of long term antibiotic usage or radiation treatments.
Geographic Tongue: The surface of your tongue is covered in tiny bumps or papillae. With geographic tongue, areas of your tongue are missing these bumps, creating an almost map-like appearance. The affected areas often turn red and can be sensitive to certain types of foods.
Median Palatal Cyst: A cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops in your body and can be quite painful. A median palatal cyst develops in the center of your palate (the roof of your mouth).
Oral Cancer: Oral cancer is the most serious pathological disease. It affects over 40,000 Americans every year, and only approximately half of that number lives past 5 years. This is why early detection and intervention is crucial, and why anything odd in your mouth should be checked out immediately.