A Periodontal Re-evaluation with a Surprising Finding
This week at the clinic, I received a patient for a periodontal re-evaluation. He is a heavy smoker and, during the appointment, presented with a white lesion on the alveolar ridge, which he didn’t remember having been previously observed. I also hadn’t noticed it in earlier visits. I took a photo of the lesion and used MouthWise’s free-text option to help with the diagnosis. Curiously, this patient is also my assistant’s husband, which made the situation even more interesting. I left MouthWise analyzing while I completed my re-evaluation periodontal charting and took the chance to discuss with the patient the next steps of periodontal treatment. By the time I finished, the email with the possible diagnosis had arrived, which confirmed my suspicion: leukoplakia. I explained to the patient what the lesion could mean, and we scheduled a confirmatory biopsy, ensuring the case would be followed in the safest and most appropriate way. This experience reinforces how technology, combined with clinical observation, can help identify situations that could go unnoticed and allow more informed decisions in patient care.