| Term | Definition |
|---|
| angioneurotic edema | a dermal, subcutaneous, or submucosal swelling that is acute, painless, and of short duration. It may involve the face, neck lips, larynx, hands, feet, genitalia, or viscera. Angioedema may be hereditary or the result of a food or drug allergy, an infection, emotional stress, or a reaction to blood products. |
| carcinoma | a malignant epithelial neoplasm that tends to invade surrounding tissue and to metastasize to distant regions of the body. Carcinomas develop most frequently in the skin, large intestine, lungs, stomach, prostate, cervix, or breast. The tumor is firm irregular, and nodular, with a well-defined border. |
| chancre | a highly contagious STD caused by infection with the bacillus Haemophilus ducreyi. It characteristically begins as a papule, usually on the skin of the external genitalia; it then grows and ulcerates, other papules form, and, if untreated, the bacillus spreads, causing buboes in the groin. |
| cheilitis | an abnormal condition of the lips characterized by inflammation and cracking of the skin. |
| cheilosis | a noninflammatory disorder of the lips and mouth characterized by bilateral scales and fissures, resulting from a deficiency of riboflavin in the diet. |
| cherry red lips | caused by carbon monoxide poisoning |
| circumoral | pertaining to the area of the face around the mouth |
| mucocele | dilation of a cavity with accumulated mucus secretion |
| Peutz-Jeghers syndrome | an inherited disorder transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait, characterized by multiple intestinal polyps and abnormal mucocutaneous pigmentation, usually over the lips and buccal mucosa. If obstruction or bleeding occurs, surgical removal o the polyps may be indicated. |
| apththous ulcer (canker sore) | an ulcerous lesion of the mouth, characteristic of aphthous stomatitis. It is hereditary and not contagious. |
| cleft | a division; a fissure, especially one that originates in the embryo, as the branchial cleft or the facial cleft |
| Epstein's pearls/cysts | small, white pearl-like epithelial cysts that occur on both sides of the midline of the hard palate of the newborn. They are normal and usually disappear within a few weeks. |
| Fordyce spots | the presence of enlarged oil glands in the mucosal membranes of the lips, cheeks, gums, and genitalia. It is a common condition and may be symptomless. The ectopic sebaceous glands of the buccal mucosa appear as tiny, whitish yellow raised lesions. |
| Koplik spots | small red spots with bluish-white centers on the lingual and buccal mucosa, characteristic of measles. The rash of measles usually erupts a day or two after the appearance of these spots. |
| leukoplakia | a precancerous, slowly developing chance in a mucous membrane characterized by thickened, white, firmly attached patches that are slightly raised and sharply circumscribed. They may occur on the penis of vulva. |
| Stensen's duct | a tubular canal, about 7 cm long, that extends from the anterior part of the parotid gland near the ear to the mouth. It crosses the masseter after leaving the parotid gland, pierces the buccinator, runs for a short distance obliquely forward btwn the buccinator and the mucous membrane of the mouth, and opens on the oral surface of the cheek through a small opening opposite the second upper molar tooth. |
| torus | a bony ridge along the hard palate at the line of fusion of the left and right jawbone segments. It is a hereditary feature. |
| candidiasis/moniliasis | any infection cuased by a species of Candida, usually Candida albicans. The nails, rectum, and skinfolds are sites of infection. Diaper rash, intertrigo, vaginitis, conjunctivitis, and thrush are common topical manifestations of candidasis. Oral candidasis without a history of recent antibiotic therapy, cytotoxic therapy, corticosteroid therapy, radiation therapy to the head and neck, or immunosuppressive disorder may indicate the possibility of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Most common source for candidemia is the GI tract and intravascular catheters. |
| abrasion | a scraping or rubbing away of a surface, such as skin or teeth, by friction. Ex: skinned knee, dermabrasion, or wearing down of a tooth by mastication. |
| discoloration | the act of changing the natural color of something |
| epulis | any tumor or growth on the gingival |
| gingivitis | inflammation of the gingiva, with symptoms that my include redness, swelling, and bleeding. Generally the result of poor oral hygiene and of the accumulation of bacterial plaque on the teeth, but it may be a sign of other conditions, such as diabetes, leukemia, hormonal changes, or vitamin deficiency. May be acute or chronic. |
| lead/bismuth line | Exposure to heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, or bismuth can cause stomatitis. |
| peridontitis | inflammation of the periodontium caused by a complex reaction initiated when subgingival plaque bacteria are in close contact with the epithelium of the gingival sulcus. Injury arises from toxins and enzymes produced by the bacteria and from host- mediated defense responses, apical movement of the junctional epithelium, which indicated attachment loss and alveolar bone loss, is diagnostic of periodontitis. |
| pyorrhea | a discharge of pus; a purulent inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth. |
| attrition | the process of wearing down or wearing away by friction |
| bruxism | the compulsive, unconscious grinding or clenching of the teeth, especially during sleep or as a mechanism for releasing tensions during periods of extreme stress in the waking hours |
| caries | a tooth disease caused by the complex interaction of food, especially starches and sugars, with the bacteria that form dental plaque. The term also refers to the tooth cavities that result from the disease. |
| edentulous | the condition of being without teeth |
| Hutchinson's teeth | a characteristic of congenital syphilis in which the secondary lateral incisors are peg-shaped or screwdriver-shaped, widely spaces, and notched at the end, with a central crescent-shaped deformity. |
| malposition | a wrong or faulty placement of a body part, such as in an untreated fracture |
| malocclusion | abnormal contact between the teeth of the upper jaw and those of the lower jaw |
| notching | an indentation or a depression in a bone or other organ, such as the auricular notch or cardiac notch |
| fissure | a tongue with deep surface furrows that may radiate outward. The condition may be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait |
| frenulum | a restraining portion or structure, a fold of mucous membrane that connects two parts, one more or less movable. |
| geographic tongue | an inflammatory disorder on the dorsal surface of the tongue characterized by numerous and continually changing areas of loss and regrowth of the filiform papillae. The wandering shape and outline of the denuded red patches surrounded by thickened white borders present a geographic or map-like appearance |
| hairy tongue | a dark, pigmented overgrowth of the filiform papillae of the tongue that has a thickened, furry appearance. It is a benign and frequent side effect of use of some antibiotics. The condition gradually subsides and no treatment is indicated. |
| mobility | the ability to move purposefully in one's own environment independently with or without assistive device. |
| papillae | a small nipple-shaped projection, such as the conoid papillae of the tongue and the papillae of the dermis that extend from collagen fibers, the capillary blood vessels, and sometimes the nerves of the dermis |
| ranula | a large mucocele in the floor of the mouth, usually caused by obstruction of the ducts of the sublingual salivary glands and less commonly caused by obstruction of the ducts of the submandibular salivary glands |
| taste | the sense of perceiving different flavors in soluble substances that contact the tongue and trigger nerve impulses to special taste centers in th cortex and thalamus of the brain. The four basic tastes are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The front of the tongue is most sensitive to salty and sweet, and back is sensitive to bitter; the middle produces no taste sensation. |
| varices | a tortuous, dilated vein, artery, or lymphatic vessel |
| Wharton's duct | a duct through which a submandibular gland secretes saliva |
| lesions | a wound, injury, or pathologic change in body tissue; any visible local abnormality of the tissues of the skin, such as a wound, sore, rash, or boil. May be described as benign, cancerous, gross, occult, or primary. |
| abscess | a cavity containing pus and surrounded by inflamed tissue, formed as a result of suppuration in a localized infection. |
| diphtheria | an inflammation of the pharynx caused by the bacterium corynebacterium diphtheriae and associated with the formation of a false membrane |
| gag reflex | a normal neural reflex elicited by touching the soft palate or posterior pharynx, in which the responses are symmetric elevation of the palate, retraction of the tongue, and contraction of the pharyngeal muscles. |
| pharyngitis | inflammation of the pharynx, usually causing a sore throat. |
| Quinsy | an infection of tissue btwn the tonsil and pharynx, usually after acute follicular tonsillitis. The symptoms include dysphagia, pain radiating to the ear, and fever. Redness and swelling of the tonsil and adjacent soft palate are present. |
| tonsilitis | an inflammation/infection of the tonsil. Frequently caused by a strep infection. Characterized by sore throat, fever, headache, malaise, difficulty in swallowing, earache, and enlarged tender lymph nodes. |
| tonsillar hypertrophy | enlargement of tonsils |
| ulceration | the process of ulcer formation |
| uvular mobility/deviation | movement of the uvula |
| buccopharyngeal | pertaining to the check and the pharynx or to the mouth and the pharynx |
| odor | a scent or smell. |
| sordes | dirt or debris, especially the crusts consisting of food, microorganisms, and epithelial cells that accumulate on teeth and lips during a febrile illness or one in which the patient takes nothing by mouth. |
| stomatitis | any inflammatory condition of the mouth. May result from infection by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. |
| trench mouth | a recurrent periodontal disease of sudden onset that primarily affects the interdental papillae. It is characterized by painful inflammation and ulceration of the gums, leading to the formulation of craterlike defects and ulcers. The necrotic tissue appears ad a gray membrane that is easily sloughed off. There also may be fever, bone destruction, a fetid odor and enlarged lymph nodes in the throat. It is usually associated with poor hygiene and stress and is most common in conditions in which there is crowding of the teeth and malnutrition. |
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