I noticed the lump on the inside of my lower lip last Friday and am scheduled for removal on Tuesday.
When I notice the lump, it didn't hurt, same color as my lip, and smaller than the head of a pencil eraser. It wasn't that big, but big enough to notice. Over the weekend, I accidentally bit it a few times while eating and it got a bit bigger.
I have chewed on the inside of my lips and cheeks for as long as I can remember, but I don't remember biting really hard recently or anything. Anyway - I went to my dentist who said she wasn't really concerned because she thought it was a fibroma but referred me to an oral surgeon anyway. She had me scared I had cancer because she say dysplasia on my lower lip and cheeks that the oral surgeon says comes from biting those areas and they will eventually go away when I stop biting.
I say the oral surgeon yesterday. He said he wasn't concerned about the dysplasia but was concerned about the lump. When he looked at it, he said he was pretty sure it was a muceole and said I could have it removed or it may go away on it's own. I want it out.
I'm scheduled for laser surgery on Tuesday morning.
Questions:
1. Does it sound like a mucocele?
2. My doctor said they will send it out for biopsy because that's what they do? Is that normal or does he think it's something else and doesn't want to scare me?
3. I'm having nitrous oxide and a local? Will that be okay?
4. Should I still be concerned that I have cancer?
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Dr. says it looks like a mucocele
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1. Yep, sounds like a mucocele to me. It doesn't matter how hard you bite your lips, any damage to the salivary glands can cause a mucocele.
2. Yes, the biopsy is standard procedure for any tissue removed from the body for any reason. It should not raise your level of concern.
3. Depends on your level of pain tolerance. All I had was local. I felt a little in the middle of the procedure and they shot me up again, so I felt pretty much nothing the whole time through. Beleive me, I do not do well with dentistry stuff, so for me not to feel anything was pretty cool.
4. I don't think you should be overly concerned you have cancer. Yes, it is a possibility, but nearly nil possibility. Although, it's easy to hear advice like that, not so easy to take it. I worried myself until I went through it, now my mucoceles are pretty much part of life and no big deal.
Hope I've helped. Good luck on your surgery and let us know how it goes!
Kayti
2. Yes, the biopsy is standard procedure for any tissue removed from the body for any reason. It should not raise your level of concern.
3. Depends on your level of pain tolerance. All I had was local. I felt a little in the middle of the procedure and they shot me up again, so I felt pretty much nothing the whole time through. Beleive me, I do not do well with dentistry stuff, so for me not to feel anything was pretty cool.
4. I don't think you should be overly concerned you have cancer. Yes, it is a possibility, but nearly nil possibility. Although, it's easy to hear advice like that, not so easy to take it. I worried myself until I went through it, now my mucoceles are pretty much part of life and no big deal.
Hope I've helped. Good luck on your surgery and let us know how it goes!
Kayti
Thank you so much for responding. This has been such an informative forum. I'll be glad once this is done tomorrow. Just to have it off will be nice because it has gotten a little bigger and softer on the top but I think that might be because my teeth keep hitting it when I eat. I'll let you know how it goes and what pathology says. I'm sure it will be fine, but when it's you - you always wonder and I try not to think the worst. Thank you again!
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