Practical Guide to Oral Soft Tissue Diseases

This concise, symptom-based guide streamlines the diagnosis and management of oral soft tissue conditions in dental practice. Departing from traditional disease-centred texts, it organises clinical presentations by patient-reported symptoms, such as white patches, ulcers, and swellings, offering a practical framework for rapid assessment and treatment.

Structured for efficiency and clinical relevance, each chapter delivers focused insights designed to enhance diagnostic confidence and improve patient outcomes. Eleven chapters in the book cover essential soft tissue anatomy, symptom-driven diagnostic pathways, and common conditions, including pigmented lesions, lumps and bumps, and ulcerations. Richly illustrated with clinical images and supported by quick-reference bullet points, it presents a wide range of scenarios encountered in everyday practice.

Ideal for general dentists, dental students, and oral health professionals, this guide also serves allied healthcare providers, such as physicians, pharmacists, and specialists, seeking a clearer understanding of oral presentations. Its exam-friendly format makes it especially valuable for students preparing for clinical assessments.

S. R. Prabhu is an Honorary Associate Professor at the School of Dentistry in Brisbane and a globally recognised expert in oral and maxillofacial pathology and oral medicine. With academic and leadership roles in India, Kenya, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Australia, he has contributed to shaping dental education internationally. He is a Fellow of all four Royal Colleges of Surgeons in the UK and Ireland, a former international advisor for the Caribbean and UAE regions, and an examiner for the membership examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In collaboration with Professor Jeff Hill of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, he has conducted HIV/AIDS education workshops for oral healthcare professionals across Asia and the Caribbean. Dr Prabhu has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and edited several books on various topics related to oral diseases, published by renowned international academic publishers. He currently serves on the editorial board of the International Dental Journal (IDJ), published by the FDI World Dental Federation, Geneva.

Kannan Ranganathan is Professor and Consultant in the Department of Oral Pathology at the Ragas Dental College in Chennai , President, Asian Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Secretary of the International Association of Oral Pathologists. He obtained his BDS and MDS from The Tamilnadu Government Dental College, Chennai in 1987 and 1990 respectively. He obtained his Masters in Oral pathology from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA in 1996 and passed the Fellowship examination of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in 1996. He obtained his PhD - on Oral Submucous Fibrosis,from The Tamilnadu Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai, in 2010. He was conferred Best Teacher Award – for perpetuating academic excellence by the Tamilnadu Dr MGR Medical University in 2011.  He was conferred the fellowship of the Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (IAOMP) in 2010 and was the the President of IAOMP (2015-2016). Dr. Ranganathan is a well experienced teacher in Oral Oncology, Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine, has  around 200 publications to his credit and has contributed enormously to international literature on those topics in research publications and as editor or chapter author in textbooks.

Simon Guan is a Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, New Zealand. He is an Oral Medicine Specialist with dual training in medicine and Dentistry. Dr Guan has a keen interest in orofacial pain, the interactions between oral and systemic diseases, and the use of advanced diagnostic technologies in clinical practice. His research explores the application of real-time atomic force microscopy to analyse the nano-topography and nano-mechanics of living cells, aiming to identify predictive markers for disease progression and to personalise treatment strategies. Dr Guan’s clinical expertise includes diagnosing and managing temporomandibular disorders, oral mucosal diseases, and complex orofacial pain conditions. He incorporates innovative technologies such as electroencephalography (EEG) and ultrasound into his research on pain mechanisms. Beyond his clinical and research work, Dr Guan is deeply dedicated to dental education. He actively contributes to curriculum development and champions the integration of research into clinical training to promote evidence-based practice among students and professionals.

Hardeep Chehal is a tenured professor and chair of the Department of Health Promotion at Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha. A respected educator and oral pathologist, she earned her American DDS degree from Creighton and completed advanced training in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of Florida. Since joining the Creighton faculty in 2009, Dr Chehal has been celebrated for her excellence in teaching, receiving numerous awards and co-authoring scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and holds the prestigious Dr Oscar S. Belzer Endowed Chair in Dentistry.