Oral Pathology
We look into our mouths at least twice daily when we brush and floss (hopefully!). While the oral cavity is one of the most accessible regions of the body, disease and anomalies may gradually develop with only mild, unspecific symptoms.
Therefore, any lumps and bumps or swellings you notice in the mouth may warrant an examination and X-ray.
The most common pathologies include cysts, benign tumours, and other growths.
Cysts are fluid-filled bubbles in the jawbone which require surgical removal and biopsy tests. They may be related to impacted teeth or chronic tooth infections. Some cysts may cause obvious swellings and pain, but others may be asymptomatic and only discovered incidentally on routine X-rays. Regardless, cysts should be removed as they will only grow larger and affect the neighbouring teeth and bone in time.
Most growths in the jaw are benign in nature but biopsies are usually indicated as mouth cancers may mimic such growths in the initial stages.
These surgeries can usually be done chair side under local anaesthesia, but larger growths may require sedation or general anaesthesia to keep you perfectly comfortable during the procedure.