I have had a spot on the inside of my mouth for about 5 months. It has just spread to another spot about an inch away. I asked my primary doctor about this a few months ago, and my kidney cancer oncologist 2 months ago. Both said "I don't know, dentist, ear nose and throat? Both just thought it was an irritation, but since it has not gone away and spread, I really want to get it checked. But I don't know what kind of doctor to go to. I don't have dental insurance, but I do have medical insurance. So I thought I would ask the expert here. I know from my experience with my kidney cancer, I can get more info from the forum than the doctors.

My husband, who had a small leukoplakia patch, started with an oral surgeon (DDS) who specializes in oral pathology (doesn't just pull teeth and such). After an initial biopsy of a tiny area showed moderate dysplasia, he was referred to an ear-nose-throat surgeon, or ENT (an MD), for an excisional biopsy, which removed the whole thing. That report came back showing squamous cell carcimona in situ, and he has since been checked regularly by a oral cancer specialist at Hopkins.

The oral surgeon was out-of-network for our medical insurance, so we paid in full and submitted the claims. ENT and cancer doc were in-network.

Thanks for the quick reply, I made an appointment with a local ENT for the 20th. Hoping he can tell me it is nothing to worry about, and maybe even something to make it go away. But as you all know, the worrying is horrible.

Praying it's nothing. Glad you were able to get an appt, just be persistent that they biopsy the site, don't let them shrug it off, better to be safe than sorry!

Find a good ENT and a good Oncologist.

I had a spot on the right lateral side of my tongue. all my doctors and dentist kept insisting i was either chewing on my tongue at night when i slept, or it was lichenplanus. But they referred me to a oral surgeon and he tried some things and they didn't work. So then he took a biopsy, 2 pieces. And that was charged to my medical insurance. And it turned out to be stage 3 SCC. So if the ENT doesn't know, check with a oral surgeon. Hopefully it's a fungus, irritation or anything but cancer, but if it's cancer, this is the right place!

Well I went to the ENT today, and he said he was sure it wasn't cancer, and no need for a biopsy. Said it would be "thicker" if it were cancer.

He prescribed me some steroid ointment and suggested I use a toothpaste without the ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate.

I go back to him in 3 weeks. Sure hope he's right. Wish I had more faith in him. Thanks for your info, I will let you know if it doesn't go away.

Here's my opinion, not to scare you, but I need to say this, that's what happened to me steroid mouthwash for 2 weeks it spread under the tongue. My suggestion for peace of mind go to an Oral Surgeon they take medical insurance and not dental.

Better to be safe than sorry. I'm starting to wonder if ENT and some Dentist know what they're doing. Get a biopsy nothing to it.

I sure hope so too. Any chance you might get another opinion?

I had a stage one cancer that had no thikness to it at all, just a red coloration. No pain at all. Two doctors missed it and said it did not look like cancer until ENT took biopsy.

ENT said the other docs probably had never seen a stage one before. Said they rarely catch them that early and they do not present like stage 3 and 4 cancers.