What mouth problems cause oral surgeons a lot of concern?

Oral surgeons are seeing more and more patients with the development of white areas in the mouth which can become pre-cancerous or on some occasions even cancerous. There are many other types of pathology that oral and maxillofacial surgeons treat on a regular basis. Perhaps the most common and the frustrating problem occurs secondary to tobacco use, either smoking, dipping snuff, or chewing. The reason that this is frustrating is because it is entirely preventable. The use of tobacco products can cause very serious problems to the tissues in the mouth. Too much sun on the face and/or lips can also cause changes in the skin and can result in serious problems. If you have any suspicious areas in your mouth, on your lips, or lower face, please call it to the attention of your dentist or call our office for an evaluation.