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Studies & Degrees in Oral Pathology

Oral pathology, in full oral and maxillofacial pathology, is the branch of dentistry and of pathology that studies the diseases of the mouth, jaws and neighbouring structures. The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology defines it as the specialty that deals with the nature, identification and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions, and that investigates their causes, processes and effects. In practice, oral pathologists diagnose conditions in the mouth, such as bumps or ulcers, and oral diseases, such as cancer, in the words of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Students learn the normal and diseased tissues of the mouth under the microscope, how to take and interpret biopsies, and how to combine clinical, radiographic, microscopic and biochemical findings into a diagnosis. Topics include oral cancer and precancerous lesions, cysts and tumours of the jaws, diseases of the salivary glands, infections, and conditions of the lining of the mouth. The American academy also counts forensic odontology as part of the field.

Qualifications and levels

Oral pathology is studied at two levels. Every dental student takes it as a subject within the dental degree. Becoming an oral pathologist is a postgraduate specialisation open to qualified dentists, and the route depends on the country.

  • Within the dental degree. Dental faculties teach oral pathology alongside oral medicine and oral surgery. At Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, for example, the Faculty of Dentistry has a Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology.
  • United States. Oral and maxillofacial pathology is one of the dental specialties recognised by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards. Dentists typically need a DDS or DMD degree from an accredited dental programme, and most dental programmes require at least a bachelor's degree for entry. Specialty training is usually a residency of two to four years in an accredited programme, which often ends in a postdoctoral certificate or a master's degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A dentist who wants to practise a specialty must hold a licence in that specialty. The specialty's certifying board, today the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, was incorporated in 1948.
  • United Kingdom. Oral and maxillofacial pathology is one of the eleven specialties recognised in the General Dental Council's specialist list regulations of 2024. Dentists who complete an approved specialist training programme can apply for a certificate of completion of specialist training (CCST) and entry on the specialist list, and only dentists on that list may use the title of specialist.
  • Research degrees. Master's and doctoral degrees in dentistry allow a research focus on oral pathology. Bukovinian State Medical University in Ukraine, for instance, trains dentists at master's and PhD level in its Faculty of Dentistry.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 4 active schools for oral pathology, one each in Nigeria, Ireland, Ukraine and Russia: Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Trinity College Dublin, Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi and Rostov State Medical University in Rostov-on-Don. At Trinity College Dublin, dentistry is taught by the School of Dental Science at the Dublin Dental University Hospital; the postgraduate clinical doctorates the school lists are in orthodontics, oral surgery, paediatric dentistry, prosthodontics and periodontology, so ask the school how oral pathology can be studied beyond the dental degree.

The directory has few schools because oral pathology is seldom advertised as a separate programme: it is part of every dental degree, and specialist training places are few. Students interested in the field should look first at dental schools, then at the specialist training rules of the country where they want to practise. A dental degree from one country is not automatically valid in another, so check recognition with the dental regulator before enrolling. Clinical teaching normally requires a good command of the local language.

Careers

Oral pathologists work in the diagnostic laboratories of dental schools and hospitals, where they examine biopsies sent by dentists and surgeons, and in university teaching and research. Some combine laboratory work with clinics for patients with diseases of the mouth. Dentists who want to teach or do research full time may need advanced dental training, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes.

It is a small specialty. In the United States, dentists held about 161,400 jobs in 2025; the group of specialists other than orthodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons and prosthodontists, which includes oral pathologists, accounted for 5,800 of them. Overall employment of dentists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be a dentist to become an oral pathologist?

In the United States and the United Kingdom, yes: oral and maxillofacial pathology is a dental specialty, entered after a dental degree. Rules in other countries differ, so check with the national dental regulator.

How long does the training take?

After the dental degree, specialty training in the United States is usually a residency of two to four years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other countries set their own length.

What is the difference between oral pathology and oral surgery?

Oral pathologists diagnose disease, mainly by examining tissue under the microscope. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons operate on the mouth, jaws and face. The two work closely together.