Sorry also just to had it this small hard lump

is sort of half on my gum and half on the floor

of my mouth. Very worried that I have mouth

cancer

Good Afternoon Claire,
Firstly of course you can see your doctor, a dentist is usually the prefered option because they spend all their days peering into someone or other's mouth and are more familiar with oral problems but don't be put off by this.
Secondly there are many reasons why lumps and bumps appear in the mouth, most are easily dealt with.
Thirdly it has to be said that cancer is one of the reasons, but if dealt with early the treatment can be less severe than you might imagine, delay is the biggest obstacle to successful treatment.The advice is always "if you have something unusual in your mouth which does not clear in three weeks with or without medication see your dentist or doctor"
The next point is that you are obviously worried about this lump so for this reason alone you should see your doctor, if he feels further investigation is necessary he will refer you to the maxillofacial unit at the hospital covering your area (Trelisk ?)you can of course ask for a referal even if your doctor thinks it is not necessary.
By now you should have a pretty good idea of what you need to do so reach for the phone and make an appointment with your doctor.Quite a number of people will have read your postings and all of us wish you well so please let us know how you get on.
Keep Smiling
John

Hi John,

I just wanted to thank you very much for replying to my post. It was very helpful and encouraging.

Also just to let you know I managed to get an appointment done with a private practice and he said everything looked normal. Had a couple of x-rays and all it is, is an extra bit of bone! Well he called it something else..a boney something but not cancer.

Thanks Again
Claire

Good afternoon Claire,
It is good to hear that things go the right way at times, I'm very pleased for you.
Keep Smiling
John

Hello Claire

You might have been describing a Mandibular Torus (Torus Mandibularis).

quote:

A mandibular torus is a nodular bony protuberance that is found bilaterally along the lingual aspect of mandible in the bicuspid and/or molar region. Approximately 20% of the population have mandibular tori. They can vary in size. Most times, patients are unaware of their torus unless the overlying mucosa is ulcerated due to a traumatic injury or they are extremely large. The etiology of mandibular torus is not known although there may be a genetic influence. The prevalence of mandibular torus peaks during second and third decades of life. Additionally the prevalence has been correlated to both history of functional stresses including bruxism and number of teeth present in the mandible. Histologically the mandibular tori are made of dense cortical lamellar bone with fatty bone marrow spaces. Most mandibular tori are diagnosed clinically and no treatment is required however surgery may be needed to accommodate a lower partial or full denture if they are large and interfere with their construction.

In some people, little bumps are found on the attached gingivae of the mandible. These are normal structures in these individuals, they may regress with age, require no treatment, but may be mistaken for disease. Torus mandibularis, bony hyperplasia on the lingual surface of the mandible, are most commonly found in the premolar area. It may be single or multiple, uni- or bilateral. It does not cause symptoms. Some normal bumps are shown at Examination Technique with Normal Findings and Structures Mistaken for Disease. - look at Fig. 1.53 and Fig. 1.54.

Best wishes
Vinod