CJ Henley, DMD, PA / San Marco, Jacksonville, Florida
Oral medicine in Jacksonville, FL.
Answers for mouth symptoms that don’t add up.
Oral medicine is the part of dentistry that diagnoses and manages diseases of the mouth’s lining, the salivary glands, and the jaws, especially when symptoms are chronic, unexplained, or tied to your medical history. At our San Marco office, Dr. CJ Henley, a general dentist with advanced training in oral medicine who serves on the Head & Neck Tumor Board at Baptist MD Anderson, slows down, finds out what is actually going on, and only then recommends care.
- 22%of people report dry mouth in population studies1
- 1 in 100people have oral lichen planus, more often after age 402
- 2 weeksa sore, patch, or lump that lasts longer than this needs an exam3
- Onedentist sees you every visit: Dr. Henley examines every patient himself
What is oral medicine?
What oral medicine is, and why diagnosis comes first.
Oral medicine focuses on the diagnosis and management of diseases of the mouth, jaws, and salivary glands that go beyond routine dental care: burning, dryness, sores, white or red patches, nerve pain, and the mouth problems caused by medications, cancer treatment, and other illness. The goal is the right diagnosis before any treatment.
Teeth are only part of dentistry. Recognizing disease, spotting patterns, and knowing how the mouth connects to the rest of the body matter just as much. Oral medicine is a recognized dental specialty that covers the oral soft tissues (tongue, cheeks, gums, and palate), salivary function and dry mouth, nerve-related oral pain, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, oral signs of systemic disease, and cancer-related and post-treatment complications.4 It overlaps with what many practices call oral pathology.
At CJ Henley, DMD, oral medicine and careful diagnosis are central to how we practice. Many patients come to us after symptoms have persisted, treatments haven’t helped, or answers have been hard to find. Our role is to slow things down, look at the full picture, and work out what is actually happening before recommending care.
Dr. Henley is a general dentist with advanced training in oral medicine who serves on the Head & Neck Tumor Board at Baptist MD Anderson. He brings years of caring for patients with head and neck cancer, complicated medical histories, and mouth symptoms that other offices couldn’t explain. Many oral medicine conditions don’t show up clearly on a routine exam. They need careful history-taking, clinical judgment, and targeted tests.
When to get evaluated
When an oral medicine evaluation makes sense.
See us in Jacksonville if a mouth symptom has lasted for weeks, keeps coming back, or doesn’t match what your teeth look like. Burning, dryness, recurring sores, patches that don’t heal, and discomfort despite “normal” dental findings are the most common reasons people book.
you have a sore, red patch, or firm lump that hasn’t healed in two weeks, new numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue, a lump in the neck, exposed bone in your mouth, or swelling with fever. Call us at 904.398.1549; for a facial injury or trouble breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency department. See emergency dental care.
Conditions we commonly evaluate
Oral medicine conditions we diagnose and manage in Jacksonville.
Most oral medicine visits involve one of a handful of conditions: burning mouth syndrome, chronic dry mouth (xerostomia), oral lichen planus, mouth sores and patches, medication-related changes, and the mouth problems that follow cancer treatment. Because these conditions often overlap, diagnosis matters.
Burning mouth syndrome
A burning or scalding feeling in a mouth that looks normal. We rule out the causes that can be fixed (low B12 or iron, a yeast infection, dry mouth, reflux, a denture or toothpaste reaction) before calling it primary burning mouth syndrome, then build a plan to calm the nerve pain.
Chronic dry mouth (xerostomia)
Dry mouth from medications, Sjögren’s, diabetes, radiation, or mouth breathing. We measure what is happening, protect your teeth with prescription fluoride, and work with your physician on the cause.
Oral lichen planus
White, lacy lines or red, sore areas on the cheeks, tongue, or gums. A biopsy confirms it when the picture isn’t clear, topical medicine settles flares, and regular checks watch for change. It can look like leukoplakia or thrush, which is why we confirm before we treat.
Bone medications and MRONJ
Bisphosphonates, Prolia, and Xgeva can rarely lead to exposed jaw bone after an extraction. We assess your risk, plan dental work around your medication, and coordinate with your prescriber before any surgery.
Radiation-induced trismus
Jaw tightening during and after head and neck radiation. We measure your opening, start stretching early, and keep it going, alongside fluoride trays for radiation cavities and checks for osteoradionecrosis.
GLP-1 medications and your teeth
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro don’t damage teeth directly, but the dry mouth, reflux, and nausea they cause can. We adjust prevention and plan sedation and surgery around them.
Sores, patches, and oral cancer screening
Oral cancer screening is part of every exam. A spot that doesn’t fit gets a photo and a recheck, an in-office biopsy, or a referral, never a shrug. See red patches (erythroplakia) and signs of oral cancer.
Nerve pain and medication-related changes
Oral pain of neuropathic origin, taste changes, a sore, smooth tongue, and mouth changes from systemic disease such as lupus, Crohn’s, or leukemia. Jaw muscle pain is covered on our TMJ treatment page.
Looking for a specific spot or sore? Our oral conditions library covers more than 40 conditions with photos, from canker sores and geographic tongue to oral mucositis during cancer treatment.
Our diagnostic approach
How we reach a diagnosis.
Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective care. At our Jacksonville office, Dr. Henley combines a detailed history and medication review with a soft-tissue and salivary exam, then adds lab tests, imaging, or a biopsy only when they will change the answer. That is how conditions that look alike on the surface get the very different care they need.
It is the same unhurried process as our comprehensive dental exams, pointed at the problem you came in with.
History and medication review
When it started, what makes it better or worse, your medical conditions, and every medication and supplement. Many oral medicine problems trace back to a prescription.
Soft-tissue and oral examination
Every surface of the mouth, the tongue, the salivary glands, the jaw muscles, and the lymph nodes of the neck, with photographs of anything worth tracking.
Salivary flow assessment
How much saliva you make and what it looks like, which separates a dry feeling from true low saliva.
Targeted tests when indicated
Laboratory testing (for example B12, iron, or blood sugar), checks for fungal infection, and screening for inflammatory or autoimmune causes. Dr. Henley orders some lab tests himself and coordinates others through your physician, depending on the test.
Imaging when clinically indicated
Correlation with prior dental findings and, when it will help, digital and 3D imaging of the teeth and jaws.
Biopsy or referral
A small biopsy in our office for a lesion that needs one, a brush biopsy in selected cases, or a referral to an oral surgeon, ENT, or the Baptist MD Anderson head and neck team.
Experience with complex and medically involved patients
Oral medicine for cancer survivors and medically complex patients.
Dr. Henley’s background includes caring for patients with head and neck cancer, post-radiation complications, medication-related oral conditions, and complicated medical histories. When oral symptoms are tied to cancer treatment, nerve pain, autoimmune disease, or medications, we work with your physicians, oncologists, and neurologists so the plan fits together.
Before radiation, a dental exam before radiation removes the teeth and infections that could cause trouble later. During and after treatment, our dental care during cancer treatment covers mouth sores, dryness, and infection, and long term we protect against radiation cavities, jaw stiffness, and bone problems. Patients who have had part of the upper jaw removed can read about maxillectomy obturators.
For patients with heart conditions, blood thinners, transplants, diabetes, or bone medications, our complex and medically involved care page explains how we plan around your health and write clearance letters for your surgeons and oncology team. Physicians can send patients through our physician referral page.
Dr. Henley writes and speaks about this work; see his published articles and Dr. Henley in the news.
Our philosophy
Oral medicine is about answers, not assumptions.
Many patients seek an oral medicine evaluation after months or years of frustration. Symptoms may have been dismissed, treated by trial and error, or blamed on stress without a proper workup. Our goal is not to rush to treatment, but to understand what is happening, why it is happening, and which options make sense and which do not.
Sometimes the answer is reassurance
Plenty of spots and bumps are normal anatomy or harmless, such as Fordyce spots or tori. When that is the case, we tell you so plainly, show you what we saw, and set a sensible recheck instead of treating something that doesn’t need it.
Sometimes it is targeted therapy
In other cases, targeted medical or supportive therapy can make a real difference to comfort and quality of life: a topical steroid for lichen planus, a treated yeast infection, a medication change your physician approves, or daily jaw stretching after radiation.
We don’t prescribe a long list of treatments to see what sticks, and we don’t stop or change medications your physician prescribed. If something should change, we call your doctor.
What to expect at your visit
Your oral medicine consultation in San Marco.
An oral medicine consultation focuses on listening, examining, and explaining. It is a longer visit, about an hour, so you get time to describe your symptoms, a careful exam by Dr. Henley himself, a clear explanation of what he found, and an honest plan for diagnosis and management. If more testing or a referral is needed, we explain why and coordinate it.
- Bring a full list of medications and supplements, any recent lab results, prior biopsy reports, and photos of the problem if it comes and goes.
- Write down when the symptom started, what time of day it is worst, and what you have already tried.
- Keep taking your prescribed medicines unless your physician tells you otherwise.
- Expect a clear explanation of the findings and next steps, and a letter to your physician when coordination will help.
Many conditions need follow-up, so most patients return to our Jacksonville office for a recheck to see how treatment is working. You will see the same doctor every time, and our team keeps the photos and measurements so changes are judged against a record. New to the practice? See what to expect as a new patient. Your regular dental cleanings can usually be scheduled alongside rechecks.
Cost and insurance
Does insurance cover an oral medicine visit?
Some dental plans cover an evaluation and a biopsy; some oral medicine care, such as lab work or a pathology report, is billed separately by the lab, sometimes to medical insurance. We explain the fees before anything is done.
We are an out-of-network practice. Some dental plans cover part of an oral medicine evaluation, often with a frequency limit. We can help you understand how to use your benefits; you are responsible for amounts your plan does not pay. Call our team with your plan details to ask about fees and payment arrangements. Read dental insurance and payment for how out-of-network benefits work.
Oral medicine near you
Oral medicine in San Marco, for all of Jacksonville.
Patients come to our San Marco office for oral medicine in Jacksonville from across Northeast Florida, often sent by a physician, an oncologist, or another dentist. Many oral medicine conditions need several visits, so being close to home matters. Dr. Henley sees every patient himself, which is why patients and referring doctors choose us as a top-rated dentist in San Marco for mouth problems that don’t have an easy answer; read our reviews or meet Dr. Henley.
Learn more about our San Marco dental office, or see our pages for Mandarin, Southside and Baymeadows, Riverside and Avondale, the Beaches, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park and Fleming Island, and St. Augustine.
San Marco and Southbank
On Hendricks Avenue, in the neighborhood
A recheck visit fits into a lunch hour.
Downtown
Across the Main Street Bridge
Easy to fit an evaluation around a workday.
Riverside, Avondale, and Ortega
Across the St. Johns River on the Fuller Warren Bridge
A short trip for follow-up visits.
San Jose and Mandarin
North on San Jose Boulevard, which becomes Hendricks Avenue
One road from Mandarin to our door.
Southside and Baymeadows
North on I-95 from Baymeadows Road
A quick drive for follow-up visits.
Jacksonville Beach and the Beaches
West on Atlantic Boulevard or Beach Boulevard
Lip and sun-exposure checks matter most at the coast.
Ponte Vedra and Nocatee
West on J. Turner Butler Boulevard, then north on I-95
Rechecks are scheduled ahead so you make one trip at a time.
Orange Park and Fleming Island
North on US-17 to I-95, then across the Fuller Warren Bridge
Visits booked ahead to plan around work.
St. Augustine
North on I-95
Worth the drive for coordination with the Baptist MD Anderson head and neck team.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about oral medicine.
What is oral medicine?
Oral medicine is the area of dentistry that diagnoses and manages diseases of the mouth’s lining, the salivary glands, and the jaws, plus the mouth problems caused by medications, cancer treatment, and other illness. Common examples are burning mouth syndrome, dry mouth, oral lichen planus, recurring mouth sores, and white or red patches.
What does an oral medicine dentist do?
An oral medicine evaluation focuses on diagnosis: a detailed history and medication review, a soft-tissue and salivary exam, and lab tests, imaging, or a biopsy when they will change the answer. Then comes management, which may be medication, protecting the teeth, coordination with your physician, monitoring, or referral. Dr. Henley is a general dentist with advanced training in oral medicine, so he can also handle your routine dental care.
Is oral medicine the same as oral pathology or oral surgery?
They overlap but aren’t the same. Oral pathology focuses on diagnosing disease, often by reading biopsies under the microscope. Oral surgery treats problems surgically. Oral medicine focuses on the diagnosis and nonsurgical management of mouth conditions, especially chronic ones. We take biopsies in our office and send them to a pathology lab, and we refer to an oral surgeon when surgery is the right step.
When should I see someone about a mouth sore?
Any sore, white or red patch, or lump that hasn’t healed in two weeks should be examined, even if it doesn’t hurt. See us sooner for numbness, a lump in the neck, exposed bone, or a sore that is getting bigger. Our Mouth Spot Checker can help you describe what you see before your visit.
Why does my mouth burn when nothing looks wrong?
A burning mouth with normal-looking tissue can come from low vitamin B12, iron, or zinc, a yeast infection, dry mouth, reflux, a reaction to toothpaste or a denture material, a medication, or nerve-related pain called burning mouth syndrome. Finding and treating the fixable causes comes first. Read more about burning mouth syndrome.
Can a dentist treat dry mouth?
Yes. A dentist can work out whether you truly make less saliva, look for the cause (most often medications), protect your teeth with prescription fluoride, recommend saliva substitutes, and discuss prescription saliva stimulants. If a medication is the cause, we coordinate with the physician who prescribed it rather than changing it ourselves.
Do you do biopsies in the office?
Yes. Dr. Henley performs biopsies in our office when a lesion needs one, and uses a brush biopsy in selected cases. The tissue goes to a pathology lab, and we go over the report with you directly. When a different team is better placed to do it, we refer you to an oral surgeon, an ENT, or the Baptist MD Anderson head and neck team.
Do I need a referral to book an oral medicine evaluation?
No. You can call us directly. Physicians and other dentists also refer patients to us, and if you have test results, biopsy reports, or a medication list from another office, bring them or have them sent before your visit.
What training does Dr. Henley have in oral medicine?
Dr. CJ Henley is a general dentist with advanced training in oral medicine. He serves on the Head & Neck Tumor Board at Baptist MD Anderson and cares for many patients before, during, and after head and neck cancer treatment. When another team is better placed to treat a problem, he refers and stays involved.
Is an oral medicine visit covered by insurance?
Some dental plans cover part of an evaluation or a biopsy, often with a frequency limit, and pathology labs may bill separately. We are an out-of-network practice and can help you understand how to use your benefits. Call our team with your plan details to ask about fees before scheduling.
Where can I find oral medicine care in Jacksonville?
CJ Henley, DMD, PA provides oral medicine evaluations at 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207, in San Marco. Patients come from Mandarin, Southside, Riverside, Avondale, the Beaches, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, and St. Augustine. Call 904.398.1549 to book.
More reading: Cancer and dental health · Causes of a white tongue · Dry mouth and diabetes · Warning signs of mouth cancer
Schedule an oral medicine evaluation
Still looking for an answer? Let’s find it.
If you have persistent mouth symptoms or questions that haven’t been answered elsewhere, a focused diagnostic evaluation can clarify what is going on and which options make sense. Call our Jacksonville office or request an appointment online. If you have swelling with fever, trouble swallowing, or a facial injury, see emergency dental care.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA3675 Hendricks Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Prefer a nonurgent text? 904.762.5616 is our practice on-call and text line. Please don’t send sensitive health information by text, and call for anything urgent.
Related pages
Sources
- Agostini BA, Cericato GO, Silveira ER, et al. How common is dry mouth? Systematic review and meta-regression analysis of prevalence estimates. Braz Dent J. 2018;29(6):606-618.
- González-Moles MÁ, Warnakulasuriya S, González-Ruiz I, et al. Worldwide prevalence of oral lichen planus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Dis. 2021;27(4):813-828.
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Oral cancer.
- American Academy of Oral Medicine. About oral medicine.