Wellness

[Lipstickdiva]

Let me start by saying I'm a huge baby about the dentist.  Not sure why but my stomach goes in knots before even a simple cleaning.

At least a year ago, probably longer, I bit the inside of my mouth, on my cheek right next to the opening.  It hurt like heck but I figured it would heal.  But of course, because it was already inflamed from the first bite, I kept accidentally biting it again and again and making it worse.

Now I have a permanent "hunk of flesh" there for lack of a better term and of course, I periodically bite it and then it hurts.  I was at the dentist last week and he told me I need to have an oral surgeon remove it because I've irritated it so much that it's not going to go away on its own.

I'm one that won't even have my wisdom teeth pulled because I'm so afraid and I dread having this done.  My dentist said probably one stitch but that's pretty much all he said about it.  He also told me that anytime any flesh is removed, it has to be sent out for a biopsy but not to lose any sleep over it.  He apparently doesn't know me too well.      

[cosmic1]

I never had that done and after I read your post, I realized that I have a thickened piece of flesh inside my mouth too from doing the same thing.

I empathize with your feelings about the dentist.  I feel the same way.  What happens if you just ignore it?  I don't rebite mine all the time - just once in a while.

Ask the oral surgeon if he can give you the twilight sleep like they do when you get a colonoscopy.  Then you won't even know until it's done.

[chrystaltree]

It sounds like you have a lesion in your mouth but not a canker sore.  A canker is is, well...a sore and it's caused by a virus, not an injury.  I'm not sure what you are worried about or why.  I would have been worried by a thing growing in my mouth, I wouldn't have waited a year to have it dealt with.  I'm surprised that your dentist is sending you to a DDS for something so minor.  The DDS will freeze it, snip, stitch and it will take 5 minutes, you won't feel a thing.  He's right, anytime they remove any lesion that doesn't belong on your skin, they do a biopsy. 

[cherry]

I would take care of it. Listen to your DDS they are trained to look for things that  could be problematic down the road. Your mouth is the fastest healing part of your body

Tell the surgeon how afraid you are. He will understand, and  give you something to  calm you

[Carmie]

I had a dark spot on the underside of my lip.  It didn't bother me and no one could see it, but my dentist did and he was concerned.  I went to an oral surgeon who removed it in his office with a local anesthesia. My whole mouth was numb and droopy feeling.

I was nervous, but it didn't hurt during or after the excision.  I had four sutures.   It healed very fast and there is hardly a scar,  it was not cancerous.

The  worst part was the anticipation.  The procedure and aftercare was not a problem and not painful.  

[Caligurll]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

Let me start by saying I'm a huge baby about the dentist.  Not sure why but my stomach goes in knots before even a simple cleaning.

At least a year ago, probably longer, I bit the inside of my mouth, on my cheek right next to the opening.  It hurt like heck but I figured it would heal.  But of course, because it was already inflamed from the first bite, I kept accidentally biting it again and again and making it worse.

Now I have a permanent "hunk of flesh" there for lack of a better term and of course, I periodically bite it and then it hurts.  I was at the dentist last week and he told me I need to have an oral surgeon remove it because I've irritated it so much that it's not going to go away on its own.

I'm one that won't even have my wisdom teeth pulled because I'm so afraid and I dread having this done.  My dentist said probably one stitch but that's pretty much all he said about it.  He also told me that anytime any flesh is removed, it has to be sent out for a biopsy but not to lose any sleep over it.  He apparently doesn't know me too well.      

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@Lipstickdiva  I thought I was reading my own story from about 15 years ago!  The exact same thing happened to me. Mine was removed and biopsied, and nothing was found. At first I thought it would heal on its own, but it just got bigger because I couldn't avoid biting it when I ate.  Mine was where my upper and lower teeth meet.

It's been too long ago for me to remember all the details, but I think I got a shot in the cheek and a stitch or 2 after the sore was removed.  The shot didn't hurt any more than a pinch to the cheek.  It was such a relief to have it gone and to be able to chew normally again.  It was a quick procedure and I have had no problems with that happening again. 

I hope you get relief soon, because I know how painful it is to keep biting a sore area over and over again.

[ID2]

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@chrystaltree wrote:

It sounds like you have a lesion in your mouth but not a canker sore.  A canker is is, well...a sore and it's caused by a virus, not an injury.  I'm not sure what you are worried about or why.  I would have been worried by a thing growing in my mouth, I wouldn't have waited a year to have it dealt with.  I'm surprised that your dentist is sending you to a DDS for something so minor.  The DDS will freeze it, snip, stitch and it will take 5 minutes, you won't feel a thing.  He's right, anytime they remove any lesion that doesn't belong on your skin, they do a biopsy. 

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Look up "canker sore causes" and it'll tell you that it caused by an injury ie. being scraped by a dentist. My son always will develop a canker sore after a dentist appt. but it will go away in the normal time span. 

[hckynut]

@Lipstickdiva

Your thread title, to me, does not fit what you have described at all. I have had canker sores, periodically, as far back as I can remember. My sisters have the same problem, and with age, they now are more frequent.

Not long ago the whole roof of my mouth was covered with them. They do hurt a bit, especially when they cover that much area. I pretty much stuck to liquids and soft foods for close to 2 weeks as they healed. 

I treated them with very warm water in which I put salt. I swished it around my mouth. Don't think this expedites the healing(mine usually around 2 weeks), but it makes it feel better for me.

Removed? Don't have a clue how a doctor or oral surgeon would remove them since they are, essentially, an ulcer. I had all my upper teeth removed by an oral surgeon in 2009. Used Versed and Fentynol Anesthesia so I was half awake. Would have a tough time with mine since they cover the roof of my mouth.

No anxiety for me as I have had tons of things done to this ole body. Were it require surgery for me? I would get it done to eliminate it from becoming a bigger problem. That's just me.

hckynut(john)

[Lipstickdiva]

I'm not sure this would be technically considered a canker sore now so much but that's how it started off.  The actual cause of canker sores according to WebMD is unknown but they can develop from many different things including stress, food allergies, eating highly acidic food, braces and injury to your mouth from biting that area. 

I think what is left now is the scar that according to my dentist is never going to go away because I've bitten it so much, it never healed and now this is permanent.  If I ignore it and do nothing, I will just continue to bite that and my guess is it will get bigger.

I just wondered how involved the procedure was for having something like this removed.  Thanks. 

[pattypeep]

@Lipstickdiva  I would venture to guess that the sight of the sore would be numbed with local anesthetic. Best to follow the doctor's advice. It sounds like your fear of dentists is deep rooted. Have you ever asked for nitrous oxide? After many, many, many years of dentist visits, I never had until I developed a serious case of TMJ. It was so painful and I just couldn't leave my mouth open for very long without a bite block. Long story short, I needed a root canal and asked for the nitrous oxide. A true blessing and I will forever use it for any future long dental visits. I hope you are able to reach a decision on how best to handle your mouth sore. BTW, whenever I get a canker sore, I immediately begin gargling with warm salt water three or four times a day.