Oral Medicine: an essential part of the clinicians’ practice

By Professor Stefano Fedele, Programme Director, Oral Medicine MSc

Have you seen in your practice, patients with white or red patches of the oral mucosa?  Have you found yourself wondering how to manage a patient who complaints of severe dry mouth or persistent burning sensation to the tongue? What investigations should you recommend to patients who present with painful mouth ulceration? What should you look for when your patients ask for oral cancer screening? 
 
Oral medicine is a fascinating specialty that sits at the interface between dentistry and medicine. It is concerned with the diagnosis and non-surgical management of disorders of the oro-facial region that do not relate directly to teeth. 
 
Oral medicine disorders often represent chronic or recurrent medical diseases, which can have a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. In some instances oral medicine disorders can be life-threatening or represent malignancy.  Affected individuals can present with conditions that are localised to the mouth or can represent manifestations of a more widespread, systemic, disease. Some disorders represent reactions to medications or therapies and can interfere with patients’ general medical treatment.
 
The General Dental Council recommends that is essential for patients’ safety that all dentists keep up-to-date regarding the early detection of oral cancer. Similarly, NICE guidelines recommend patients with white and red patches be assessed by their dentist for suspected oral cancer. However the vast majority of available educational and training opportunities aimed at helping post-graduate clinicians identify early oral cancers consist of short one-hour lectures, which are insufficient to give clinicians the knowledge required to assess patients with confidence and safety.
 
Our prestigious, one-year, full-time MSc in Oral Medicine is designed to help clinicians of all ages and backgrounds learn how to identify, diagnose and manage patients presenting with disorders of the oral mucosa, salivary glands, the jawbones, as well as chronic oro-facial pain. 
 
It is the only UK Oral Medicine MSc that has been running successfully and consistently for over 20 years; accepting exceptional post-graduates from across the world who often go on to take up prestigious Hospital, Health Ministry and University appointments in their home Countries.  
 
The programme is delivered over 12 months and consists of lectures, seminars and comprehensive clinical experience in oral medicine, head and neck cancer, oral dysplasia, and facial pain. Programme staff are internationally renowned, running groundbreaking clinical trials and securing millions of pounds in research funding with the result that students are offered solid exposure to clinical research and trial delivery. This is unique amongst UK and most international institutions. 

Apply for our Oral Medicine MSc by 7 January to start in September 2019