Northwest Suburban Branch | Oral Cavity Soft Tissue Lesions

Join the Northwest Suburban Branch at the Metropolis Ballroom in Arlington Heights on November 17, 2026 for the lecture “Differential Diagnosis of the Most Common Oral Cavity Soft Tissue Lesions” presented by Mark W Lingen, DDS, PhD.

We’ll also be celebrating Hygiene Night! On this night, branch members are encouraged to bring along their Hygiene Teams so we can celebrate them and recognize their contributions!

Course Description: The purpose of this talk would be to review the basic categories of soft tissue lesions that are encountered in the head and neck region. Although the common soft tissue lesions of the head and neck do not always carry significant morbidity, the clinician must be able to successfully differentiated these from the more serious conditions of this region. The format of the lecture will emphasize the development of reasonable differential diagnoses for each lesion presented.

Speaker Bio: Mark W. Lingen is an internationally recognized oral pathologist, clinician-scientist, and educator whose work has significantly advanced the early detection, diagnosis, and prevention of oral cancer. He serves as Professor of Pathology and Medicine and is a specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, with a career dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Dr. Lingen earned both his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees before completing advanced training in oral and maxillofacial pathology. Throughout his career, he has combined clinical expertise with groundbreaking research focused on molecular biomarkers, oral cancer screening, precision diagnostics, and translational cancer biology.

A nationally and internationally sought-after speaker, Dr. Lingen has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific publications, book chapters, and clinical guidelines. His research has been supported by numerous federal and foundation grants, and he has served on expert panels developing evidence-based recommendations for oral cancer detection and management.

In addition to his research accomplishments, Dr. Lingen is deeply committed to educating dental and medical professionals about the critical role they play in identifying oral disease at its earliest stages. His lectures emphasize practical, evidence-based approaches that clinicians can immediately incorporate into everyday practice to improve patient care.

Learning Objectives:
1. Review the concepts pertaining to arriving at a reasonable differential diagnosis for common soft tissue oral cavity lesions
2. Present common soft tissue lesions of the oral cavity along with lesions that mimic these common entities.
3. Emphasize the critical role of dental health care professionals in the early identification and diagnosis of oral lesions and conditions.

CE Hours: 1