Pottstown Office

(610) 326-7880

Boyertown Office

(610) 367-6074

Oral Pathology by Pottstown Oral Surgery

The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

  • Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth.
  • A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily.
  • A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth.
  • Chronic sore throat or hoarseness.
  • Difficulty in chewing or swallowing.
  • Swelling or expansion of the jaws or face
  • Unexplained numbness of the mouth or face
  • Unexplained weakness of the facial muscles

These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology, and curiously, is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

We would recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body's most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores. Please contact us so we may help.

Pottstown Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has over fifty years of experience in the treatment and management of all types of head and neck pathology.  Their doctors frequently go to the operating room at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center to perform larger,  more complex cases than can be managed in the office alone.  Dr. Lignelli, Dr. Smith, Dr. Lignelli, II, and Dr. Ward are also well versed in the reconstruction of maxillofacial structures following the removal of larger lesions.