Clinical Decision-Making in Oral Medicine: A Concise Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

Accurately diagnosing the myriad of diseases that can affect the mouth, guiding patients correctly, and offering treatment with competence is a permanent challenge for dental surgeons and health professionals. Often, the diagnosis of these diseases is neglected or wrongly performed. This concise book guides health professionals in clinical decision making in oral diseases, assisting them not only on the diagnosis and treatment of oral and maxillofacial diseases, but also in terms of value and benefit of who treats the condition and, above all, who will be treated. The work provides guidelines formulated by a compilation of specific protocols of conduct, focusing on the scientific evidence and enriched by the authors’ critical analyses.

The book is divided into eight main sections that include twenty-eight chapters. Most of them have no more than 5 pages and follow the same format to standardize their use. Each chapter begins with a summary of the topic, a brief description of the main disease that fall into this diagnostic category, and their main definitions. Then, the clinical characteristics, ways of making the diagnosis, and a protocol for treatment for each lesion are presented. Additionally, the experienced authors interestingly discuss their perceptions on how to give bad news in the Oral Medicine setting; and the last section is especially dedicated to the dental management of medically complex patients or with little-known diseases, such as Burning Mouth Syndrome and COVID-19. More than 140 high resolution clinical images illustrate the book.

Clinical Decision-Making in Oral Medicine targets is designed for health professionals and physicians from various specialties, who are interested in diseases with systemic repercussions that affect the oral and maxillofacial complex and in oral repercussions of treatments for complex diseases such as head and neck cancer. Students in dentistry may also find the book of value.

Alan Roger Santos-Silva is a Doctor of Dental Surgery (São Paulo State University, UNESP, Brazil); specialist in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology (Brazilian Federal Dental Council); Master of Science in Oral Medicine and PhD in Pathology at Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas (UNICAMP, Brazil) with a PhD externship at the School of Clinical Dentistry (Oral & Maxillofacial Department), University of Sheffield, England. Worked as an Oral Medicine specialist at the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP, São Paulo University Medical School) and currently holds the position of Associate Professor in the Oral Diagnosis Department at UNICAMP. Past-Coordinator of the Graduate Program (MSc and PhD courses) in Oral Medicine and Pathology at UNICAMP; elected member of the University Council at UNICAMP and member of the Superior Council of Clinics Hospital at UNICAMP. He’s a member of the Editorial Board of the North American journal Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology, a member of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG, Head and Neck Group), the past-Secretary and current Treasurer of the Brazilian Society of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology; the Councillor for Latin America and the Caribbean in the International Association of Oral Pathologists (IAOP) and the General Secretary to the World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT). He collaborated with the academic Working Groups of the World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII (American Academy of Oral Medicine) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Handbooks of Cancer Prevention to produce Volume 19 entitled “Oral Cancer Prevention” that will be edited by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Márcio Ajudarte Lopes is a dental surgeon, full Professor of Semiology at FOP/UNICAMP. He is responsible for the Orocentro (Service for Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Injuries) at FOP/UNICAMP.  Dr. Lopes holds master and doctorate on Biology and Oral and Dental Pathology from UNICAMP and Post-doctor by Baltimore Dental School - University of Maryland, USA. He is author or co-author of approximately 290 peer-reviewed articles in specialized journals and author or co-author in more than five textbook chapters.

João Figueira Scarini is a dental surgeon, master in Stomatopathology at FOP-UNICAMP. He has a PhD in progress in Stomatopathology at FOP-UNICAMP with a PhD externship at the School of Dentistry (Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine), University of Michigan, United States. He is also a trainee in the Laboratory of Molecular Pathology (LAPMOL) of UNICAMP and at the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of UNICAMP.

Pablo Augustin Vargas is a dental surgeon and Professor of Pathology at FOP/UNICAMP. He holds Master and Doctorate on Biology and Oral and Dental Pathology by UNICAMP, and Post-doctor by the University of Sheffield, England. Dr. Vargas is an Extraordinary Professor of Pathology at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Pretoria - South Africa and fellow of The Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath). He is author or co-author of approximately 240 peer-reviewed articles in specialized journals and author or co-author in four textbook chapters.

Oslei Paes de Almeida is a dental surgeon and Professor of Pathology at the Department of Oral Diagnosis of FOP/UNICAMP. He holds Master and Doctorate of Science in Cell and Tissue Biology at the University of São Paulo (USP) and Post-doctor by the University of London, England, and Brompton Hospital. He is author or co-author of approximately 390 peer-reviewed articles in specialized journals, author or co-author in more than five textbook chapters and editor of four textbooks.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Felipe Paiva Fonseca

Dental degree from the Federal University of Pará(Belém) (2005-2010), MSc degree on Oral pathology from the University of Campinas (Piracicaba) (2010-2012) and PhD degree on Oral pathology from the University of Campinas (Piracicaba) in partnership with the University of Sheffield (Sheffield) (2012-2015). Post-doctoral fellowship on Oral Pathology in the University of Campinas in partnership with the University of Pretoria (Pretoria) (2015-2016). Currently, lecturer/professor of Oral pathology at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte).

Lara Maria Alencar Ramos

Dental degree from the School of Dentistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (2004-2008), MSc degree on integrated dental clinic focused on oral pathology from School of Dentistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (2008-2010), and PhD degree on Oral pathology from the University of Campinas (Piracicaba) with internship in the University of Sheffield (Sheffield) (2010-2013). Post-doctoral fellowship on Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents from Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto) (2017-2022). Currently, dental surgeon of the Dentistry and Stomatology Section of the Clinics Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto).