Before you go any further please note that patients cannot refer themselves to specialists in Oral Medicine in the UK and Ireland. Please read our disclaimer.
Advice for patients
Very few of us enjoy going to the dentists or visiting a doctor. But if, for instance, you are suffering from intense or recurring pain in your face or neck or find long-term lesions in your mouth or throat you must make an appointment. It may turn out to be something easily treatable. If not then it will give us an opportunity to diagnose the cause of your pain as soon as possible.
Find out more about conditions covered by oral medicine
Make an appointment with your dentist or GP
If you are suffering from constant or recurring pain in your mouth, neck or jaw your first point of call should be your dentist or doctor.
Both will be able to examine you and identify any physical symptoms that you have. If the pain you are suffering from does not have a visible cause (for instance pain in the jaw or neck) then you can help by giving them a very clear indication of when your pain occurs and how long it has been happening. Tell your GP or dentist that you found helpful information through this site.
This information will help your doctor or dentist make a diagnosis or provide you with pain relief options. In the majority of cases they will be able to resolve your problem but if they feel that you would benefit from receiving oral medicine care they can make a referral to a specialist in Oral Medicine. The specialist will be able to give advice on the diagnosis or management of your problem.
Your doctor or dentist should have this information but if it is helpful, the list of specialists in Oral Medicine is kept by The General Dental Council.
Oral Medicine Clinics in the UK
If you are referred to an oral medicine specialist they will provide support and direction for your treatment and care. They will do this by working with a number of healthcare professionals so you can expect to see a variety of specialists in your journey to recovery. You may also need to make regular visits to an oral medicine clinic.
Oral Medicine clinics are mostly available through Dental Hospitals in the UK and Ireland. The specialist Oral Medicine service in each unit is led by one or more Consultants, but doctors or dentists working under the supervision of a Consultant may see referred patients as well. Dental or other students may also be present at Oral Medicine clinics as part of their training to become a registered practitioner but you have the right to refuse to have them at your consultation if you prefer.
Other healthcare professionals play important roles in patient care, which can be as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Multi-Disciplinary Clinics are run in many areas with other Dental and Medical specialists which help provide the best integrated care for patients with problems both in the mouth and other body areas.
Working together, this group of healthcare professionals is dedicated to finding a long-term solution for your orofacial pain.
Find your nearest Oral Medicine Clinic in the UK or Ireland.
“The British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine (BISOM) seeks to improve the quality of life of patients who fall within the scope of the specialty by promoting excellence in clinical care, research and education.”
Patient Information Leaflets
BSOM have prepared patient information leaflets for a range of common medical conditions that can affect the mouth. These can be found in the list below. Some of these have been prepared with the help of other medical or dental specialist societies.
| Information Leaflet Title | Produced by: | Date of Publication | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burning Mouth Syndrome | BSOM | April 2016 | 103Kb |
| Oral Epithelial Dysplasia | BSOM | April 2016 | 108Kb |
| Oral Erythema Multiforme | BSOM | October 2019 | 107Kb |
| Geographic tongue | BSOM | October 2019 | 81Kb |
| Oral Lichen Planus | BSOM & BAD | October 2019 | 113Kb |
| Mouth Cancer | BSOM | April 2016 | 48Kb |
| Orofacial Granulomatosis | BSOM | October 2019 | 103Kb |
| Oral Pemphigoid | BSOM | October 2019 | 123Kb |
| Oral Pemphigus Vulgaris | BSOM | October 2019 | 117Kb |
| Persistent Oro-facial Pain | BSOM | April 2016 | 58Kb |
| Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis | BSOM | October 2019 | 108Kb |
| Sialosis | BSOM | October 2019 | 121Kb |
| Sjögren’s Syndrome | BSOM | October 2019 | 235Kb |
| Trigeminal Neuralgia | BSOM | April 2016 | 139Kb |
| Behçet’s Disease | BSOM | April 2016 | 230Kb |
| Coated and Hairy Tongue | BSOM | October 2019 | 51Kb |
| Betamethasone Soluble Tablet Mouthwash | BSOM | October 2019 | 308Kb |
| Fluticasone Nasule Mouthwash | BSOM | October 2019 | 312Kb |
| Prednisolone Soluble Tablet Mouthwash | BSOM | October 2019 | 376Kb |
Patient Support Groups & Other Information
The following groups or societies may have information and local support groups that can be useful to patients with certain oral medicine conditions. These are independent of BISOM and the content of the information they provided is neither checked nor verified by BISOM.
Behçet’s Syndrome
Behçet’s Syndrome Society
Versus Arthritis – Behçet’s Syndrome
Facial Pain Resources
General Information about chronic facial and general pain can be found at:
The International Association for the Study of Pain
Patient information and support about Trigeminal Neuralgia can be found at:
Trigeminal Neuralgia Association UK
Trigeminal Neuralgia Association USA
Information about Temperomandibular Joint disorders can be found at:
TMJ Association
American Academy of Orofacial Pain
Oral Cancer Resources
Mouth Cancer Awareness
British Dental Health Foundation Mouth Cancer information.
US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health site about Oral Cancer
Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme Guidelines
Sjögren’s Syndrome Resources
British Sjögren’s Syndrome Association
Sjögren’s Syndrome On-
Versus Arthritis – Sjögren’s Syndrome
Skin and Oral Disease Resources
Information about lichen planus can be found at:
UK Lichen Planus
International Lichen Planus Support Group
The American Academy of Dermatology Lichen Planus Information
Information about pemphigoid and pemphigus can be found at:
International Pemphigus Foundation
Information about lupus can be found at:
Versus Arthritis – Lupus (SLE)