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Review
. 2020 May-Jun;24(3):244-250.
doi: 10.4103/ijem.IJEM_119_20. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

"Orocrinology": Seven Easy Steps!

Julie Elizabeth Mathew  1 , Beena Varma  1 , Jubbin Jagan Jacob  2 , Sanjay Kalra  3
Affiliations
Review

"Orocrinology": Seven Easy Steps!

Julie Elizabeth Mathew et al. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May-Jun.

Abstract

A complete examination of the oral cavity is a neglected part of physical examination and is not taught in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. We believe that a thorough oral examination helps in the identification of a variety of endocrine disorders and so to emphasize this, we have proposed the term "orocrinolgy." Orocrinology is the art of using a Thorough oral cavity examination to diagnose a variety of adult and pediatric endocrine disorders. Under "orocrinology," we have highlighted an easy to perform a seven-step technique to perform a complete examination of the oral cavity. The common endocrine-related abnormalities that you might encounter during each of these seven steps is summarized along with the steps. The seven steps start with the examination of the salivary glands, followed by the lips. This is followed by the examination of labial, buccal, alveolar, and gingival mucosa in two steps. The fifth step is the Inspection of the tongue and the base of the mouth followed by the sixth step, which is the evaluation of the palate, uvula, and tonsils. The final seventh step is the examination of the hard structures in the oral cavity, which includes the teeth, mandible, and the maxilla.

Keywords: Endocrine disorders; endocrinology; oral cavity; oral examination; orocinology; seven steps.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bidigital palpation of the parotid glands from behind the subject
Figure 2
Figure 2
Palpation of the upper lips, after holding the lips between the thumb and the forefinger gently roll it downwards
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a and b) Inspection of the labial and buccal mucosa
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Inspection of the lateral side of the tongue is done by gripping the tip of the tongue with a small piece of gauze and pulling it to one side. (b) The floor of the mouth is visualized after asking the subject to lift his tongue up
Figure 5
Figure 5
Inspection of the hard palate
Figure 6
Figure 6
Inspection of the teeth should concentrate on number, position, spacing, and color of the teeth
Figure 7
Figure 7
A diagnostic algorithm for delayed tooth eruption (DTE)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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