Nothing robs you of your smile like a mouth disease.
Over 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer from oral disease. In the early stages, not knowing the cause of strange lumps and bumps can be one of the scariest aspects of the problem.
Here are five common diseases that could be causing those bumps in your mouth.
1. Canker Sores
Canker sores (also called ulcers or blisters) are small, painful lesions that can occur anywhere in the soft tissue of the mouth. They’re often painful, and can have a similar translucent quality to blisters elsewhere on the body.
Canker sores mostly resolve on their own, though a few home solutions like rinsing with a salt water solution can help to speed healing. You should speak to a professional if your canker sores continue to spread, fail to resolve, or keep recurring.
2. Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is rare in healthy adults, but that can make it difficult to self-diagnose. Common risk factors for adult thrush include a weakened immune system, use of inhaled steroids (such as for asthma or rhinitis), and diabetes. Thrush appears as a creamy white-yellow substance on the lining of the mouth or tongue.
Thrush is an overgrowth of a yeast strain found in the mouth, usually kept in check by the mouth’s microbiome. Health conditions or medicines can disrupt the biome, causing the yeast to overgrow.
3. Geographic Tongue
Geographic tongue is a bizarre and mysterious yet mostly harmless problem affecting the tongue.
This disease manifests as the patchy loss of the little hairs covering the surface of your tongue. These patches can “wander” over time. As these patches appear flat and textureless next to the usual texture of the tongue, the result looks something like a map—hence the name.
Geographic tongue often clears up on its own, has no known treatment, and isn’t known to be a sign of other health problems.
4. Traumatic Fibroma
Have you ever experienced the joy of biting the inside of your cheek? If you have, then your lump could be the result of traumatic fibroma. In plain English, that’s an “ouch lump.”
Traumatic fibroma is mostly benign, but the lump can expand over time as the area is re-injured. That could suggest a more chronic issue, like broken or sharp teeth that keep damaging the area.
A dentist with the right training can remove a traumatic fibroma with surgery, but you’ll likely need to address the cause, as well.
5. Oral Cancer
Painful lumps that don’t seem to heal could be a sign of oral cancer. This is often accompanied by other symptoms, including numbness, loose teeth, or changes to speech.
If you think you might have oral cancer or experience any other unexplained changes in your mouth, you should get in touch with a dentist today for a professional diagnosis.
Bumps in the Mouth Explained
These five diseases are common explanations behind bumps in the mouth, but there are many other conditions with similar symptoms. You should always contact a dentist if you’re unsure about changes in your mouth.
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