ORAL PATHOLOGY & BIOLOGY - UPTH - University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital

ORAL PATHOLOGY & BIOLOGY (DENTAL CENTRE)

Introduction

Oral Pathology is a branch of Dentistry that is involved in the study of the aetiology and the diagnosis of oral diseases.

Oral diseases are varied and wide; it ranges from simple inflammatory lesions to more life-threatening condition like oral cancer. Survival and outcome of most oral lesions depend on early recognition and diagnosis.

Brief History

The Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology started in 2007 with the employment of Dr. Olufemi Gbenga Omitola as a lecturer in the University of Port Harcourt and his appointment as Honorary Consultant in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. He was appointed Head of Department in 2008.

Dr. C. A Iyogun was appointed in 2012 to increase the number of consultants to two. In 2015, the Department employed its first set of Resident Doctors for training in Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine following accreditation by both National Post Graduate College of Nigeria and West Africa College of Surgeons.

Oral Diagnosis Clinic

This is the first port of call for all patients coming to the Dental Centre of the hospital especially when coming for the first time.

This clinic which is under a consultant oral pathologist and manned by a qualified dental surgeon on daily basis, see all the new patients and sort them out based on their treatment needs.

The patients are subsequently referred to the appropriate unit of the Dental centre for definitive treatment after the necessary baseline radiographic investigation has been done.

Patients with oral mucosal lesions that required only drug therapy are managed by this unit.

The unit is equipped with a functioning modern dental chair, wall mounted X-ray units (intraoral radiographs and orthopantomogram) and various hand instruments.

Oral Biopsy Services

This unit receives specimens from other units of the dental centre especially oral and maxillofacial clinic. It also receives specimens from patients from other hospitals. These oral tissues from patients with various oral lesions are processed in the laboratory where histological slides are produced. The slides are subsequently read and interpreted by the consultant oral pathologist. The definitive diagnosis is then communicated to the referring doctor.

Oral Cytology Clinic

Patient with soft tissue oral swelling is usually referred to this clinic by the managing doctor. In this clinic, with the aid of a fine needle, representative sample is taken from the swelling. The sample is smeared on a glass slide and either air-dried or fixed in 70% alcohol. Air-dried samples are subsequently stained with Giemsa stain while the wet slides are stained with H&E stain in the laboratory. The slides are interpreted by the consultant and the diagnosis is either present or absent of malignancy. The advantage of the procedure is that the results are readily available and the trauma on the patient is minimal.

Dr. E.V. Orikpete
Head of Department

For more details on the scope of work see

UPTH Service Charter.
For Protocol of service; see UPTH Service Charter.

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