How to Choose an Oral Pathologist

Oral pathologists are medical professionals that specialize in studying and diagnosing diseases of the mouth and jaw. Your doctor or dentist may refer you to an oral pathologist for a biopsy or another type of specialized examination. Oral pathologists usually do not provide continued care after testing. Instead, they share their diagnosis with your doctor or dentist to help inform any necessary treatment plans.^{[1]XResearch source}

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Finding an Oral Pathologist

1
Ask your doctor or dentist for a recommendation. If you’re planning to see an oral pathologist, you were likely told to do so by either your dentist or your doctor. In fact, they likely already told you who to see. In most cases, they simply need an oral pathologist to perform a biopsy to help make a more definitive diagnosis.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Oral pathologists are not as common as other medical professionals, so your options may be limited.
- In many areas or particular hospital networks, there is often an established oral pathologist that gets referrals of this sort.
2
Call your insurance company for a referral. Your health insurance company can recommend all sorts of medical professionals, including an oral pathologist. The benefit of using their recommendations is that your insurance company likely works with the practitioners they recommend, and you will be more likely to be covered.
- Also, ask your insurance company if the diagnostic testing in the the lab or facility will be covered.^{[3]XResearch source}
- You may want to have your insurance company email you a list of providers and facilities that are in your network for documentation purposes.
- Note that your insurance company may require a referral from your doctor or dentist in order to cover the cost of an oral pathologist’s services.
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3
Contact the AAOMP if you live in the United States. The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology is an organization that represents these types of medical practitioners in the U.S. Visit their website to contact them directly.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Using the provided phone numbers or email address, ask about oral pathologists in your area.
4
Contact the IAOP if you live outside the United States. The International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists is a UK based organization can help you find an oral pathologist in many areas of the world. You can contact the IAOP directly, or one of several regional councilors.^{[5]XResearch source}
- The IAOP has regional councilors for Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, and North America. Specific contact information for each is available on the IAOP website.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Vetting an Oral Pathologist

Contact an oral pathologist you’re interested in to ask whether they accept your insurance. If your insurance company recommended them, they likely do. Note that most health insurance plans require a referral to be made in order to have specialist’s services, such as those of an oral pathologist, covered.^{[6]XResearch source}
2
Check the HealthGrades website. This website contains contact information as well as practitioner ratings for oral pathologists throughout the U.S. This information is organized by city and state and is easy to navigate.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Be aware that this website is not comprehensive. There may be oral pathologists in your area that are not featured here.
Oral pathologists are often dentists who wanted to continue their studies or specialize their expertise. You can check their licenses and formal specializations by contacting the dental board in your state. Each state has their own website that will allow you to search an oral pathologist’s name and ensure that they are licensed.
4
Read online reviews. Since oral pathologists rarely have their own practices and often see a patient briefly to conduct tests, they are less often reviewed than some other healthcare professionals. However, it can still be worth searching for reviews of an oral pathologist on websites like Google and Yelp.^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}
- Don’t ever take an online review for granted. For instance, good or bad reviews that do not provide a specific reason for their review are less trustworthy than reviews that explain their reasoning.
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