Biopsy

Why a Biopsy?

Biopsies are actually simple procedures, involving the removal of oral tissue for examination by a pathologist. And although the word 'biopsy' may cause anxiety due to it's inherent link to cancer evaluation, you need not jump to conclusions: the majority of biopsies do not result in a cancer diagnosis. There are a number of reasons why your dentist could refer you to our surgeons for an oral biopsy. First, of all, you may have a lesion in your mouth that he or she cannot identify. Or, you may have a lesion that hasn't healed in over two weeks, or one that has grown larger over time. Biopsies are also done to identify the cause of any thick, white lesions rising above your normal oral tissue, or to investigate any lumps below the skin surface. Furthermore, biopsies are indicated when a person drinks or smokes heavily and also has suspicious areas of varying texture inside their mouth. And finally, some medical conditions can make a person more susceptible to intra-oral lesions, which require investigation.

What's Involved?

First of all, your surgeon will use a local anesthetic to numb the area to be sampled. Then, he may perform an excisional biopsy, or an incisional biopsy. Excisional biopsies involve removal of the entire lesion or lump, together with some normal tissue. Incisional biopsies require only taking a bit of the tissue, along with some normal tissue; these are typically the type of biopsy done for larger lesion areas.

Once removed, we submit the tissues to a pathologist for microscopic evaluation. The pathologist will perform certain tests on the tissue to determine what kind of activity is taking place, then will provide results to our office within a week or less. Most of the time, biopsy results tell us that the tissue is benign.not cancerous. Instead, the lesion may commonly be a salivary growth, harmless cyst, fibroma, neuroma, or papilloma. In such cases, your dentist will advise you as to the best treatment.

Your Recovery

Please refer to the "Post Operative Instructions" section to familiarize yourself with the various aspects of typical recovery from this procedure. We'll fill you in with any information specific to your case, at the time of your consultation.

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4300 Oak Park Lane • Fort Worth, Texas 76109
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