Common problems of the oral cavity.

The oral cavity is an area of the human body that is often given only cursory surveillance by primary care physicians. In this article, I have discussed a comprehensive approach for collecting subjective and objective data from the patient that is pertinent to oral conditions. Most common and critical problems have been reviewed in detail, focusing on their definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management. This review is intended to sensitize physicians to the need to evaluate oral complaints more completely, to diagnose them more accurately, and to treat them more successfully.