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UW School of Dentistry

Oral Pathology

The Oral Pathology Biopsy Service in Seattle is the only pathology group in the state of Washington specializing exclusively in the area of oral and maxillofacial pathology.

For over 50 years, the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service has offered a consultation and tissue diagnostic and reporting service to the medical and dental communities and is currently serving nearly 900 practitioners and hospitals and surgical pathology laboratories throughout the Northwest region (including Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah).

Our affiliation with one of the top Dental Schools and Pathology Departments in the nation allows us to provide state of the art services including standard tissue processing and staining, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry.

The service averages 6,800 new cases each year and in the majority of cases, reports are issued within 24 hours following the receipt of the specimen.

Medical and dental professionals can have confidence in the accuracy and promptness of the consultative and diagnostic services provided by the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service at the University of Washington.

Oral Pathology Biopsy Service Mission

The Oral Pathology Biopsy Service shares the University of Washington´s overall role and mission to preserve, advance, and disseminate knowledge. The Service is an integral part of the School of Dentistry and serves the people of the State of Washington and Pacific Northwest. The Service has as its mission the following:

  • To ensure optimal care through accurate diagnosis or management of diseases and abnormalities of the oral and maxillofacial region.
  • To provide state of the art, comprehensive consultation and tissue diagnostic and reporting services to hospitals, clinicians, private practitioners and specialists in dentistry and medicine throughout the Pacific Northwest.
  • To provide a center for teaching and dissemination of knowledge through its archived collections, its courses, scholarly exchanges, and public service.
  • To promote oral and maxillofacial pathology as a specialty of dentistry and pathology; encourage collaboration and interaction with other health care providers, laboratories, hospitals, and professional organizations.