Hi all,

I'm waiting on an appointment coming around for the local dental hospital (estimated 3 - 5 weeks according to my dentist) because at an emergency dental appointment last week he couldn't tell what a lump was in my gum/cheek area.

Basically, a year ago I started getting really bad pain above my first molar on the top right of my mouth. This came and went, normally lasting about 3 or 4 days of pain, only to go away until 3 or 4 months later. In that time I attended my normal 6 month dentist checkups as usual.

For the random pain there, I tried:
- Using sensitive toothpaste as my normal
- Purchasing extra-strength sensitive toothpaste from the dentist who told me to put it on the tooth and leave it there for 10mins when I got pain
- Gurgling with salt water (didn't help) and using Cordesal (didn't help)
- Fixing any grinding issues in my sleep by buying a mouth gard (didn't help, but was a last resort)

However, 1 week ago I developed a pea-sized hard lump in the same place as I'd been getting random pain (basically at the very top of my gum where my mouth meets the gum, almost up into my cheek). Quite bad pain which muted to a dull throb as long as I'm not talking/eating over the last few days. But until my dental hospital appointment comes through, I'm basically just putting up with the pain and hope they can figure out what it is at the hospital.

• The lump is hard, but not smelly (no discharge)
  
• It doesn't have a white or particularly red head, no discolouration compared to the gum around it
  
• My jaw/cheek hasn't swelled at all, nor pain in the actual cheek
  
• No change to my voice or problems eating before now (tho i can't eat well because of the pain if the lump is pressed... otherwise it is currently PAINLESS... just very painful if you press it)
  
• No bleeding when I brush
  
• No numbness
  
• No sore throat
  
• I'm also a non-smoker, never smoked, but I do drink alcohol most weekends (not excessive)
  
• The gum x-ray my dentist took didn't provide any firm insight, apparently
  
• The center of the lump feels softer than the "ball" surrounding area, if that makes sense
  

I was unable to get a decent picture for upload because of where the lump is, but hopefully a description above might help to identify what it could possibly be whilst I wait for that elusive hospital appointment to appear.

I've tried loading this URL: http://www.dentalmedsoft.com/O...Text/Chapter%201.htm which is often provided here but it doesn't appear to be loading, and Google hasn't cached the webpage content.

Can anyone offer advice on what it might be? My dentist wasn't convinced it was an abcess, but mentioned cysts. He didn't really say much, to be honest - hence my worry!!

Hi

Sorry to see that you're having such a hard time, but it sounds like you're doing all the right things simply by not giving up. It's too bad, though, that you're not able to get into the dental hospital for such a long time.

In addition to all the other steps you've taken, are you using a soft toothbrush?

You said that the x-ray was more or less inconclusive. Could you perhaps have a minor fracture of that tooth? Might that tooth be infected? This is going to sound odd, but are you having sinus trouble on that side?

Please let us know how this turns out.

Julia

Hi Julia,

Thanks for the considerate response - and so quickly!

I'm not sure what other options I have with regards to the dental hospital. I'm an NHS patient and I wouldn't even know how to gain a private appointment more readily (even if I could pay for it - which I can't, as it would come out of the weekly food bill!). I'll just hope it comes through soon.

Regarding the fracture idea, I don't think this is likely. The tooth has a filling in (silver) which is potentially helpful to point out. But I've never had any issues with the tooth, the filling is from about 6 - 10 years ago. My dental health is generally very good - I had a few fillings as a teenager, but other than that I've been fine (and I don't drink fizzy drinks, have cut out sugary foods, etc due to diabetic risk running in the family - my diet is "too saintly" according to friends )

I've also had no tooth trauma or incidents that I can recall anything painful/sharp on my teeth e.g. cracking whilst eating. The tooth is well formed and the dentist did mention that the filling looks fine (based on his poking around and the x-rays from last week - plus he compared against another set of x-rays I'd had done 3 months earlier).

No sinus trouble to report either.

I do remember that at the time of the initial "pain incident" on this area of my gum (when there was no lump) if I pressed against the roof of my mouth to the right (almost the "other side" of my lump now) it hurt like hell too. But that hasn't really happened this time.

The only other relevant bit of information that might be helpful is to note that this side of my mouth had a tooth extraction when I was a child, although it went smoothly, was a couple of teeth away from the pain site just now, and Ive never had any followup issues.

Essentially, before this particular area of pain in the last year my teeth have been perfectly fine (and have been treated well) with 2 or 3 fillings from childhood.

It's most worrying!

Woops forgot to answer your toothbrush query.

I use a Colgate medium brush, but go very gently with it as I know my dentist warned me a year ago that the sensitivity might be due to having an exposed "under part" of the tooth where the pain is e.g. my gum was receeding slightly. I use Sensodyne toothepaste (the whitening version).

I also rinse my mouth with Cordesal mouthwash every few days because I like the smell and the dentist mentioned it was good for the gums.

Hello mouthiegal

This appears to be a difficult one to advise on! If it is not growing bigger day by day or ulcerating, it is probably a bony exostosis, or sign of an infected tooth. Do let us know what the hospital says.

Best wishes
Vinod

Hello Dr Joshi!

It's definitely not growing bigger by the day, and doesn't seem infected as such.

I will update here once I've attended my hospital refer apt in the aim it helps provide insight to similar worried posters in the future whilst they wait on refers too!