Oral medicine is the non-surgical management of patients with diseases of the oral mucosal tissues (lining of the mouth).
Patients are seen for assessment, investigations, diagnosis, advice and treatment. Many patients remain on long-term follow up due to the chronic nature of their disease.
Our oral medicine service offers a comprehensive range of care and management focusing on the diagnosis and non-surgical management of predominantly chronic, recurrent and medically-related disorders of the orofacial region. There is access to, and liaison with a wide range of dental and medical specialties including: dental specialists, radiology, oral surgery, psychiatry, clinical psychology, neurology, neurosurgery, dermatology, rheumatology and gastroenterology. Referrals are considered from general dental surgeons, general medical practitioners and secondary care clinicians.
Patient contact
General enquiries
Service management
Carol Merchant-Thompson
Address
Oral medicine
Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
47-49 Huntley Street
London
WC1E 6DG
Other referral information
Referral can be made using ‘NHS e-Referral Service (formally Choose and Book referrals) ’.
All patients referred using this method are expected to be registered with a dental practitioner
Urgent referrals should be clearly marked and are given precedence. The Department offers a one stop service where diagnosis and immediate intervention where appropriate is undertaken at the same visit.
Criteria for Acceptance of Treatment:
- Dry mouth secondary to iatrogenic, connective tissue or infectious salivary gland disease.
- Trigeminal neuropathy.
- Oral mucosal disease arising from probable immunological aetiology, including lichen planus, pemphigus vulgaris, pemiphigus vegetans, mucous membrane pemphigoid, erythema multiforme and recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
- Oral manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and coeliac disease.
- Persistent oral mucosal ulcer (likely malignancy)
- Oral mucosal white and red patches, i.e. potentially malignant lesions of the oral mucosa.
- Orofacial swelling including angiodema, oro facial granulomatosis, sarcoidosis
- Oro facial infections including bacteria, viruses and fungi
- Oral malodour
- Oral mucosal soft tissue swellings
- Oral manifestations of adverse reactions to drugs or dental materials
- Malignant neoplasms of the orofacial region
- Oro facial manifestations of systemic disease
Patients with orofacial pain must be referred to the ‘Pain Service’; Patients with caries and periodontal disease must be referred to the Division of Restorative Sciences providing their criteria for referral are met.
Access to patient results
Results of investigations will be included within patient letters
Referral address
Eastman Central Registry for Referrals (ECRA)
Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
250 Euston Road
London
WC1E 6DG
We care for patients with:
- Oral mucosal disorders e.g. oral lichen planus, mucous membrane pemphigoid, pemphigus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis and erythema multiforme
- Potentially malignant and malignant oral conditions with onward referral to oncology teams as appropriate
- Salivary gland diseases including dry mouth
- Oral manifestations of systemic diseases e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn’s disease, HIV
- Diagnosis and management of infections presenting in the oral cavity e.g. recurrent herpes simplex (cold sores), oral candidosis
4,500 patients are seen annually, of whom approximately 1,300 are new patients.
