I am 42 and had an impacted wisdom tooth pulled 10 years ago. Since then I have had this lump thats formed about 1/2 inch from the tip of my tongue on the right side. There is no pain and is not visible. I can feel it with my fingers and by biting on it. It is affecting my speech and I am constantly bighting on it. I have been to a few doctors and they keep telling me its nothing. It is something and Its making me crazy. When it first happened it was a numb feeling. I know I probably haven't help it by constantly biting on it. My question is what kind of doctor should I be seeing? It sounds exactly like the issue Deanna from MI had. I would love to speak to her and if possible go to the same doctor she went to in MI. Your help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Dianemeg

If its been there a long time, its unlikely it is a mouth cancer. You need to see an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for an opinion and diagnosis. Do let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
Vinod

p.s. you could try private messaging Deanna

Hi Diane,

I was told "it's nothing" before I was told that it was cancer. (Not that you have cancer,). I tell you that, to tell you this.... insist on a referral from your dentist to an oral surgeon and then insist on a biopsy to know what it's NOT. My first visit to the oral surgeon he was certain that it wasn't cancer because I did not smoke and talked me out of the procedure.....I regretted that I accepted that decision only to find out later is was cancer.

I've found that dentists in general don't look for zebras when they hear hoof beats.... meaning they are only looking for vanilla scenarios it seems. Be insistent, get the biopsy or a definitive diagnosis..... "it's nothing" is unsatisfactory.

Seems like I just vented a bit there.....but really....be insistent.

best wishes

bob (pembo)

Thank you for your help. I appreciate your feed back and once I find a reputable doctor I will have it checked into further. Its becoming unbearable.

Hi Diane

Have you found a doctor yet?

At the risk of sounding like a paid endorser (the kind you see on those horrible insurance ads featuring Alex Trebek or Wilfred Brimley), have you tried the University of Michigan? All of my treatment has been through them and I'm tremendously pleased with how it's turned out. I really hate to recommend my doctor to anyone (not because he's a bad doctor--far from it); if you're seeing him, it's because you've got something bad going on. In my case, it was stage 2 N0M0 SCC of the tongue. After a hemiglossectomy and free-flap resection (no rt or chemo), I'm now a 3.5 year survivor--and one of his show and tells.

If this post sounds like is was sponsored by the Maize and Blue, it wasn't.

I hope that everything turns out well for you.

Julia