How much does a dentist diagnose?

[PharmDr.]

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Today it was slow at my work at CVS (Eckerds) and I was reading a copy of the Merck Manual of Medical Information and was looking at the dental related section and came across disorders of the lips, mouth, and tongue and wondered if dentists are involved in this area? I have noticed that dentists treat canker sores since I saw ads for meds in the GP's office I shadow but how about oral herpes and other growths, & tongue disorders like glossitis. Also, do dentists treat patient that have arthritis in some form (oteo or rheum) when coming in complaining about tmj pain w/ meds? I know dentists screen for all sorts of cancers in the mouth but I was just curious as to what all a dentist is involved w/in the oral cavity. Thanks for any inputs guys (and gals)

 

[badaboom]

there is a dental specialty Oral Pathology
after graduating from dental skool they go on to spend years looking through microscopes
they are the experts
everyone that graduates from a dental skool has some sorts of knowledges of oral pathology, but i will refer what i can't recognize or don't know how to treat to a oral pathologist.