Diseases of the mouth.

Abstract

The diseases of the mouth involve different specialists. In some very big towns there is a specific specialist of the mouth. However, in most cases the diseases of the oral mucosa are treated by dermatologists, because many disorders of the skin are associated with simultaneous involvement of the oral mucosa. Although more interested in the disorders of the teeth, even the dentist observes such disorders.
When a disease is simultaneously responsible for lesions of the skin and of the oral mucosa, the diagnosis should be done taking into account the skin lesions, before looking at the oral lesions. As a matter of fact, the mouth, together with nails, hair and, at a lesser extent, palmoplantar region and extensor aspect of the elbows and knees, are sites where the diagnosis is more difficult, because here there are peculiar characteristics, namely characteristics of the site, that obscure the characteristics of the skin disorder. Particularly, the lesions of the mouth are characterized by a whitish appearance due to soaking.