Hard lump on lower jaw
Hello I am new here, not diagnosed with anything but I discovered a hard lump on the corner of my lower jaw on my right - it feels like bone and can’t be moved at all it feels like attached to the bone and it’s easiest to feel when I lift my head up, you can’t see it visibly and feels an odd shape
i saw a doctor who looked extremely confused and said he had no Idea but told me to just see if it grows and then come back?
is this correct advise or should I go back? I’m 27 but health has not been amazing multiple infections and a folate deficiency I’m getting a lung X-ray for a cough since April and I have poor oral health
I booked to see a dentist but idk how much they can help me as it’s on the lower jawline
Comments
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Hello, Sheep, and welcome to the CSN H&N discussion forum.
My advice to you is to call an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat) specialist and make an appointment right away as soon as possible and have this hard lump as you call it checked out. ENT's are trained in all things head and neck and they will get to the bottom of it. It could be a benign growth, it could be cancer, it could be nothing of any concern but you want to get to an ENT and get it checked as soon as possible because if it is something serious you need to get it taken care of right away because the smaller it is the better the time to take care of it. they may have you go get a CT Scan or x-ray, or both.
Also it is good you have a dentist appointment scheduled. Get on the ball and get your teeth straightened out and fixed up and if you are not already get on a regimen of brushing and flossing and good dental care and take care of your teeth they are very important. Don't ignore your dental care.
Also, you may need or want to coordinate care between your dentist and your ENT, many times they work together for the patient's good. They make an excellent care team.
Give your ENT and your dentist your health history such as your multiple infections and a folate deficiency and poor oral health. And you say you are getting a chest x-ray, so you are seeing someone who ordered that, so it may be helpful to coordinate between all these doctors and hopefully you can come up with solutions to improve your overall health in general and your oral health specifically
Also, in case you have not been active or proactive in your health and oral health situation and care this can be a time to get things straightened out and get a handle on things, and take an active role in your overall health situation. If I was in your situation I would trust in God and pray on your situation.
Our Motto Here--NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)
Wishing You the Best
Take care, God Bless
Russ
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Thankyou for responding. I will get an ENT specialist appointment as soon as I can! I am 27 so I’m hoping it is something something harmless and yeah incase it was malicious it’s best to be seen to early that’s why my doctor doing nothing confused me!
I have been looking after them better now and see the dentist regularly I’ll make sure I keep it up and add flossing
thank you again for all the advise and information it’s definitely a wake up call for me to make sure I eat better and get on top of my health hopefully when they run test everything comes back all clear
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Very well, Wishing You The Best.
I am glad you are taking my advice and not fooling around, if it's something you caught it's small, if it is nothing, great you can be greatly relieved and rejoice either way that you did not wait any longer.
Check with your dentist about checkups, I see my dentist every 6 months. While you are there explain your regimen for tooth care and see if they feel that your tooth regimen is good or do they have something to add to it.
I floss in the morning and brush and then brush after every meal. The hygienist has me using mouthwash in the morning and swishing for a minimum of 30 seconds. And I use an increased fluoride toothpaste at night after brushing before bedtime. So I am doing a little more and a bit different than most folks but that is because of my cancer treatment and the effects of radiation and diminished saliva flow.
So get with the dentist and tailor a plan for your situation.
Good luck and I am glad this is a turning point for you.
Stop back and let us know the results.
Take Care, God Bless
Russ
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I mentioned it to the dentist today he never felt the lump on the outside of my jaw and he only x rayed the tooth above it, he could feel it from the inside of my mouth which I can’t but told me it’s an abscess but I have never had pain there but I will still contact an ENT about it as the dentist did not want to look past the teeth
thank you so much he did suggest things like a tablet that helps plaque be seen so that way I never miss anything when brushing
thank you for sharing I probably should brush 3-4 times a day in my situation I think would be best
I will update once I see an ENT
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Hello,
My advice is to bypass the dentist and have a biopsy of the hard lump as soon as you can. Start by going to specific kind of ENT doctor -- either a 'head and neck cancer surgeon' or a 'head and neck cancer pathologist.' The most important thing you can do is get a biopsy. Don't wait to see if it grows bigger or wait to see if it goes away.
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Hello, Sheepstew - If it is an abscess, that can be serious enough. Did the dentist suggest treating it in some way? Even if it doesn't hurt now, an abscess can spread. So...by all means follow up with a good ENT. Then, do regular visits to dentist. I imagine this is scary for you, but the silver lining is to get on a good track with your mouth. I had a wake-up call with my teeth almost 40 years ago, and have taken great care of them since.
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Thank you, I am doing that I don’t think the dentist was looking past the issues in my mouth he wouldn’t even touch to feel the lump on my jaw and I did tell him that was my biggest concern and he wants to wait 3 months to see me again
waiting to hear back today about an appointment to get it seen to, I won’t leave it until they can tell me what it is and have looked at it properly
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That was my thoughts - if an abscess was appearing on the right corner of my jaw it would surely be quite serious? I have no pain and I know the roots do the tooth are not gone - he wants to wait 3 months and treat it never suggest antibiotics or anything just told me to book an appointment in February
thank you I will make sure that I do! Waiting to hear back today about an appointment. I need to look after my health better in general and I have already started - my hope is it is something benign and I can work on my health and hopefully lower can future risk of harm im high risk hpv too which adds the extra layer of worry for everything
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Hello, again! Just to cover all bases, have you had the HPV vaccine? If not, please discuss with your doctor. It's great that you've begun to look after your health in general. A part of looking after your health could be focus on stress and anxiety. At age 27, you've got time to work on this slowly but surely. The "little" recommendations like meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, fresh air and exercise can really pay off, but there's no magic bullet...they take time, commitment, and practice. Right now you've got enough on your mind...but please consider these things going forward. Good luck with everything, Sheepstew.
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Hello! Yeah I have had the HPV vaccine however my smear was positive high risk HPV cin 2 they told me i might have just been unlucky when I mention about it.
Thank you so much I will consider it and I think putting it all into practise would help even with everything on my mind I used to exercise a lot and it always made me feel much better
thank you again
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Hi Sheep,
Cinnamon Scone here again. I'm following this thread closely and again, I simply want to reiterate my humble suggestion -- please get to a head and neck cancer surgeon or a head and neck cancer pathologist immediately for a biopsy of the mass. If you tell me where you're located (city and state), I will help you find a few options. Needless to say, I am concerned. A painless bump on the jaw should no longer be treated as a "dental" problem. I have years of experience, as a caregiver, to someone who had a painless mass on her upper gum.
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Thankyou that is really kind, the issue is I live in the UK so I have to go through my doctor but they booked me an appointment for the 8th December - I tried to get one today but no appointments were left so I will try again tomorrow. The uk are quite bad for being able to get seen to quickly for these types of things but an emergency referral would get me seen within the next 2 weeks which is the quickest, I did try and call the hospital and ask but only way is doctor referral
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Just an update: the doctor I saw today was concerned and put in for an urgent mandible x ray
i told her about my sore throat, lack of appetite and low folate symptoms she said it was very very low I don’t know if that’s related. She told me to come back with new symptoms but I asked ‘what kind of symptoms?’ And she said she does not know, does anybody here know what I would be looking out for? The most she could tell me was to come back asap if it get bigger again
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OK Sheep, I see your message " The doctor I saw today was concerned and put in for an urgent mandible x-ray"
Was this doctor an ENT? Go back to the beginning of this thread and read my first response to you and read some of the others then also.
Specifically, you need to see an ENT and have this checked out to the point that you know what it is and the ENT can give you a specific answer as to what it is. Initially, they may give you an x-ray first because that is what the insurance companies want but you should have a CT Scan with Contrast of the head and neck area. Believe me I am very familiar with head and neck issues and as I originally stated do not fool around with this you want to get it diagnosed and know what it is. It should most likely be biopsied as well. But you need to know what this is. They may check it with scans and a biopsy and say it is just a benign lump, non-cancerous which would be great. You may still want it removed for cosmetic purposes.
Your doctor's statement I find a little strange: "She told me to come back with new symptoms but I asked ‘what kind of symptoms?’ And she said she does not know".
Come back with new symptoms, I have no idea why they said that.
You asked what kind of symptoms because you want to know what to be looking for and she said "I don't know"
WHAT!
I would find these answers unacceptable at the least. And she said if it gets bigger get back in right away. You do not want to wait for it to get bigger that's why you went to the doctor in the first place to have it diagnosed and know exactly what it is and especially if it's cancer that was the idea to catch it small, not wait till it gets bigger.
Again get to a reputable ENT and get a CT Scan and biopsy to be safe that would be my route of treatment.
Waiting longer is not an option.
Wishing You the Best
Take care, God Bless
Russ
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Sheep,
You must get yourself on the right path NOW! Have the x-ray you received sent (via email) to an ENT doctor, specially a head & neck surgeon. After a head and neck surgeon looks at the x-ray, s/he will most likely order a set of additional diagnostic tests (for example, a CT scan, a PET scan, a bone scan, a biopsy, etc.). A biopsy also be performed to determine if the mass is benign (no cancer) or malignant (cancer). Further tests might also include genetic testing. A treatment plan will be put in place once all the data is known.
I don't want to alarm you, but if this mass turns out to be cancerous, it may be a very aggressive deadly cancer. You must - I repeat - you must advocate for your health care as though your life depends on it. I understand the difficulties if the UK NIH health system, but you must be assertive and get medical attention right away.
May I suggest you contact Professor Iain Hutchison, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at i.hutchison@qmul.ac.uk He may be able to put you on the right path immediately.
Good luck.
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Hi there I have not had the x ray yet, the dentist did an x ray of my tooth but it was just the tooth and slightly below which showed nothing i have been referred for a mandible x ray by the doctor, she could feel the lump and was confused also. She told me if I don’t hear about the x ray within 2 weeks then to make a big fuss about it so far I have heard nothing and this was Friday she sent the refferal
I do want to be on the right path asap as cancer is the main concern and I know benign tumors need treatment before they do any damage or might turn non benign. I did find out my chest x ray was fine at least
If there is one thing the nhs is bad for it is diagnosing cancer quickly - I could find out if i go to the ‘walk in centre’ which is a doctor based service at the hospital; they might send me for an x ray there and when it just means a long wait but would be worth it if I did get seen to quicker.
thank you so much, i tried the email but it is coming up invalid, I’ll look online and see if I can contact him somehow
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My bad I was typing the email wrong, I have managed to send an email now so hopefully he will respond today or tomorrow.
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Sheep,
I'm glad your chest x-ray showed no abnormal findings. While waiting to hear about a date and time for the emergency mandible x-ray, I would go to the ‘walk in centre’ at the hospital and try to get the x-ray done on the same day. If you get the x-ray on the same day, it will speed up your diagnosis and treatment. If you're unable to get a same-day x-ray, at least you are on the list to receive one within the two-week window you were given. Continue to be your own best advocate!
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Turns out that was not an option sadly but my doctor told me the first request was rejected and when she spoke to them they said they want a full jaw x day and to do a Ultrasound and I found out they might do the biopsy straight away after the ultrasound, I kept calling them after that referral and got an appointment but the next date is the 21st so sadly that’s the best I can get for now unless I went private but that’s not possible for me my x ray is this Wednesday im actually hoping they do it all then
it might be a case of they see it and if they think something looks bad they might call me in when the results are ready but that would be more concerning so I also hope they don’t but I would like peace of mind
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Very well sheep Wednesday is right around the corner so not far away and hopefully, they will do it all that day if not the 21st is not all that far away so I think you will be OK with that schedule. Peace of mind is a rare commodity but it can be had right now by praying on this and trusting in God. Prayers your way that the doctors term your lump as "Unremarkable".
Wishing You The Best
Take Care, God Bless
Russ
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