Tuberculosis of the face and oral cavity categorized under EPTB is uncommon, yet it can quietly imitate routine dental disease. Persistent mouth ulcers, facial swelling, painful gums, non-healing extraction sockets, enlarged neck nodes, or difficulty opening the mouth deserve attention. Oral TB may result from infected sputum or spread through the bloodstream, sometimes appearing before obvious lung symptoms. Diagnosis combines clinical examination, imaging, biopsy, and molecular tests such as CBNAAT, MGIT. Early anti-tubercular treatment can prevent tissue destruction, bone involvement, and long-term functional disability. Sometimes dentists and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons serve as frontline diagnosticians for such infectious lesions
Date: 14/10/2026
