The Indian Academy of Oral Medicine & Radiology (IAOMR) organized a scientific meet of oral medicine experts in the country to discuss oral diseases at the 15th National Conference held at Hyderabad, recently. IAOMR is a professional organization in dental sciences having full-fledged members who are qualified in oral medicine & radiology.

Oral Medicine & Radiology deals with the diagnosis and management of all oral diseases of the mouth, dental radiology and medico legal aspects. The dental diseases are more prevalent among people due to habits and lifestyle changes, contributing to oral diseases. Poor oral hygiene causes loosening of teeth and eventual exfoliation. The sepsis in the mouth may act as focus of infection and affects organs like heart, lungs, kidney, intestine, joints etc.

Tobacco used in the form of beedi, cigarette or reverse smoking or chewing pan cause oral cancer. Oral cancer incidence in India constitutes about 47 per cent of total cancers of the body. Oral sub mucous fibrosis, which is a pre-cancerous condition, is more prevalent in India due to chewing betel nut. The incidence is increasing especially in adults and school children because of chewing pan masala and gutka. Pandemic diseases like AIDS also affect the mouth and dentists play an important role to diagnose oral changes in AIDS and treat the same.

It is thus the responsibility of the experts in the field to go through all the aspects and chalk out programmes for prevention, control and cure of mouth diseases to maintain oral health of the people.