Oral medicine, facial and jaw pain, salivary glands | a senior specialist
An oral medicine specialist at EliteMed in Modi'in treats what a general dentist does not: recurrent mouth sores and ulcers, lesions of the oral mucosa, burning mouth syndrome, jaw and temporomandibular joint pain, dry mouth and salivary gland disorders, and follow-up of pre-malignant lesions. The service is given by a senior hospital-based oral medicine specialist, within days, without a referral, at the Ayala 360 Center, and qualifies for reimbursement under private policies subject to policy terms.
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When to see an oral medicine specialist
Oral medicine is a specialty that connects dentistry with internal medicine, neurology and ear, nose and throat. The typical patient has already been to the dentist, sometimes to several, and was told the teeth are fine, but the pain, the sore or the dryness remained. In the public system oral medicine clinics are few, mostly in hospitals, and the wait is long. Book a consultation for:
- Mouth sores or ulcers that keep coming back (aphthae), or a single sore that has not healed for more than two weeks.
- White, red or dark patches on the oral mucosa, tongue or gums, found at a check-up or by yourself.
- A burning sensation of the tongue or mouth with nothing visible to explain it (burning mouth syndrome).
- Pain in the jaw, face or ear that is not from a tooth, jaw locking, clicking in the jaw joint or pain on chewing.
- Severe dry mouth, difficulty swallowing dry food, or constant thirst, especially with multiple medications or an autoimmune disease.
- Swelling or pain in the salivary glands, mainly at mealtimes, or a suspected salivary stone.
- Changes in the oral mucosa related to a skin disease or an autoimmune condition, such as lichen planus.
- Recurrent fungal or viral infections in the mouth that do not respond to treatment.
- Preparation for cancer treatment to the head and neck, or follow-up after radiotherapy and chemotherapy that affected the mouth.
- Medication for osteoporosis or cancer that requires an evaluation before invasive dental treatment.
- Chronic bad breath, a change in taste, or tongue pain with no explanation found.
Rapid swelling of the face or neck with fever and difficulty swallowing or breathing means going to the emergency room immediately, not booking a consultation.
What the consultation at EliteMed includes
The consultation begins with a conversation about the symptoms, medications and background conditions, because a large share of oral diseases are an expression of a general condition: an autoimmune disease, a nutritional deficiency, a side effect of medication or a nervous system disorder. A thorough clinical examination follows, of the oral mucosa, tongue, gums, salivary glands, jaw joints and chewing muscles. Depending on the findings, the specialist decides whether blood tests, imaging, a sample from a suspicious lesion or coordination with another specialty are needed, and forms a treatment plan.
What sets the service apart:
- A senior hospital-based specialist. The service is given by a senior physician in an oral medicine unit who is responsible for a salivary gland clinic at a major medical center, with experience in complex mucosal disease, facial and jaw pain and supportive oral care for cancer patients.
- A real differential diagnosis. Separating pain from a tooth, from the jaw joint, from a nerve or from the sinuses, so the patient does not undergo unnecessary dental treatment.
- Other specialties in the same building. ENT for sinuses and glands, rheumatology for autoimmune conditions such as Sjogren's syndrome, dermatology for skin diseases with oral involvement, and neurology for neuropathic facial pain.
- Early detection. Careful examination of pre-malignant lesions, periodic follow-up, and a diagnostic sample when needed, coordinated appropriately.
- No public-system waiting lists. An appointment is usually available within days, and for a suspicious lesion or acute pain there is a track within 24 to 48 hours.
- No referral needed. A private consultation requires no referral or Form 17. Bring the dentist's summaries, dental X-rays if you have them, recent blood tests and an accurate medication list.
- Consultations in English. The oral medicine service consults in English.
- Insurance. Consultations qualify as private specialist consultations, reimbursable under most private policies (Harel, Phoenix, Menora and others) and health-fund supplementary plans (Shaban), subject to policy terms.
Who this suits: anyone looking for an oral medicine specialist in central Israel, not only in Modi'in, because such clinics are few; anyone with mouth or jaw pain the dentist could not explain; and cancer or autoimmune patients who need care of the mouth. Serves Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Shoham, Hashmonaim, Beit Shemesh and Rishon LeZion, and English-speaking patients from across the country.
Areas of care in oral medicine
Oral mucosal disease and recurrent ulcers
Diagnosis and treatment of recurrent aphthae, lichen planus, pemphigus and other blistering diseases, and stubborn mucosal lesions, including topical or systemic medication and follow-up.
Burning mouth syndrome
Work-up of a burning sensation of the tongue and mouth with nothing visible: exclusion of nutritional deficiencies, dryness, fungal infection and medications, and a treatment plan suited to neuropathic pain when that is the diagnosis.
Facial and jaw pain (TMD)
Diagnosis of disorders of the jaw joint and chewing muscles, jaw locking, clicking and pain on chewing, and distinction from neuropathic pain such as trigeminal neuralgia, with conservative treatment and guidance.
Dry mouth and salivary glands
Treatment of severe dry mouth, work-up of damage from medication or an autoimmune disease such as Sjogren's syndrome, and diagnosis of blockages, stones and recurrent infections of the salivary glands.
Pre-malignant lesions and early detection
Examination of white or red patches, periodic follow-up of lesions at risk, and a diagnostic sample when needed, for early detection of oral cancer.
Oral infections
Diagnosis and treatment of recurrent fungal and viral infections of the mouth, including in patients with a weakened immune system or with dentures.
Oral care for cancer patients
Preparation of the mouth before chemotherapy or radiotherapy to the head and neck, treatment of mucositis and side effects during treatment, and follow-up of dryness and damage afterwards.
Evaluation before dental treatment in complex patients
Evaluation of patients taking medication that affects the jaw bone or clotting, and coordination with the dentist to prevent complications such as osteonecrosis of the jaw.
The interface with ENT
Differential diagnosis of pain radiating to the ear, throat or sinuses, and separation of dental, joint and sinus problems, together with the center's ENT physicians.
The urgent track: oral medicine within 24 to 48 hours
A suspicious lesion of the oral mucosa, a sore that does not heal, acute jaw pain that prevents eating, or recurring swelling of a salivary gland need an examination within days, not months. The center therefore runs an urgent track: you contact the intake line, a health coordinator reviews the request and the availability, and the consultation with the oral medicine specialist is booked within 24 to 48 hours, subject to availability. The track is for patients who are stable but need a fast diagnosis; it is not a substitute for the emergency room in rapid swelling of the face or neck with fever and difficulty swallowing. The urgent track needs no referral or Form 17 either, and the consultation is reimbursable on the same terms.
Preparing for the visit and what happens afterwards
Bring summaries from the dentist and from other physicians who examined the problem, dental X-rays or imaging if you have them, recent blood tests and an accurate medication list, including supplements. If the sores or the swelling come and go, phone photos taken during a flare help a great deal. No fasting is needed, and it is best not to apply ointments in the mouth on the morning of the examination so the mucosa is seen as it is. You leave with a written summary containing the diagnosis or working hypothesis, topical or systemic treatment, the tests required and the follow-up date, and where needed a letter for the dentist or family doctor. When a sample from a lesion or coordination with another specialty at the center is required, they are arranged immediately and the results are reviewed at a follow-up visit.
Oral medicine at EliteMed
Oral medicine at EliteMed works alongside the center's ENT, rheumatology and dermatology services. You can see the specialist's details and areas of care on the oral medicine doctors listing, and the adjacent specialty on the private ENT specialist in Modi'in page.
Book a consultation with an oral medicine specialist
Frequently asked questions
A general dentist treats the teeth, gums and restorations. An oral medicine specialist is a dentist who specialised in diseases of the oral mucosa, the salivary glands, facial and jaw pain and the oral signs of general diseases, and treats problems that are not from a tooth. When the dentist says the teeth are fine but the problem remains, this is the right address.
A sore or ulcer that has not healed for more than two weeks, a white or red patch that does not disappear, or a lump in the mucosa justify an examination by an oral medicine specialist, even if they do not hurt. Most lesions are benign, but early detection of a pre-malignant lesion changes the outcome, so you should not wait.
Burning mouth syndrome is a burning sensation of the tongue, lips or the whole mouth with nothing visible. Before the diagnosis, correctable causes are excluded: dryness, fungal infection, iron or vitamin deficiency, medications and sensitivity to materials. When no such cause exists, the pain is neuropathic, and treatment is tailored accordingly, with topical or systemic medication and follow-up.
An oral medicine specialist diagnoses disorders of the jaw joint and chewing muscles, jaw locking and clicking, and distinguishes them from neuropathic pain such as trigeminal neuralgia or pain originating in the sinuses and ear. At the center the work-up can be completed with ENT and neurology physicians in the same building, without moving between clinics.
No referral or Form 17 is needed. Bring the dentist's summaries, dental X-rays if you have them, recent blood tests, an accurate medication list and photos of the sores or swelling taken during a flare. No fasting is needed, and it is best not to apply ointments in the mouth before the examination.
The fee is given when you book, before the visit. The consultation qualifies as a private specialist consultation, reimbursable under most private policies and health-fund supplementary plans, subject to policy terms, and the center provides an invoice and a medical summary for the claim. The center is at the Ayala 360 Center, 21 HaMelachot Street, Building B, 5th floor, Modi'in, with free parking nearby.