I just had a check up with my MO and everything going fine........ Then the next day I felt a bump on my gum, on the left lower front. At first I thought it was a piece of food stuck to my gum, it's about the size of a pinhead. It didn't go away, so I took a look---it is between two teeth on the gum and it is pale with a greyish center. And I am totally freaked out by this. I have never had dental problems, so I am not familiar with anything it could possibly be, besides you-know-what. It aches a little bit. I will see the dentist on Tuesday, but in the meantime while I am freaking out anybody have any ideas about what this could be, besides what I am afraid it is??

I had something that sounds just like that years before I had cancer and they have a name which I've forgotten but it was related to an abcess developing under one of my teeth that had cracked under the gumline and under the crown on top of it without my knowledge.

Of course I understand why you would worry but I hope this makes you feel a little better.

Nelie

I just had a good laugh at what I just wrote above. One of those moments when you realize how cancer shifts your whole perspective. Saying that it might make you feel *better* to know that when someone else had something similar it was due to an abcess--pretty wierd. Like an abcess is good news. But yet it is compared to the alternative I guess.

Nelie

Sounds like you most likely have an aphthous ulcer. They usually come out when your resistance is low, when you are getting a cold. They go away in 10 days to 2 weeks. It is caused by a virus.

I'm not saying that this is what you have as I could never tell you for sure over the internet.

Please let us know what you find out on Tuesday.

Jerry

Thanks for your replies.
Jerry,I should have mentioned that it is not an open sore, it is under the gum. Kind of bluish-grey looking.

Jerry.....maybe a ruptured blood vesssel from dental care, ie. flossing? could that be? I wouldn't be making any suggestions, G-Cat, exc. that you are going to the dentist on Tuesday anyway. Don't ever take what we say exc. with a grain of salt, but I hope that the things we say can show you that there is a chance that there is a reasonable and non-frightening explanation. Of COURSE you are doing the right thing to get it checked out.

Yes, Colleen is correct that it COULD be from trauma. Somewhat like a black and blue mark. Your first description with the greyish center seemed like an aphthous ulcer.

Hopefully on Tuesday, you will find out that this is nothing to worry about.

Jerry

Soooo...I showed up at the dentist today, and whomever had taken my appt. over the phone neglected to put my appt. in the computer. There was no way anyone could look at me today. So I drove 45 min. for nothing, and had a meltdown outside the dentist's office. Due to the meltdown, my fiancee drove me to the clinic because SOMEONE was going to look at my mouth today! Of course the Dr. had no idea what was on my gum, and referred to a medical manual and showed me a picture of the closest-looking thing. That would be a mucocele. He wanted me to see an ENT. When I got home, there was a message from the ENT(the clinic had called him)saying that without looking he was pretty sure this would turn out to be treatment(and dental) related, and not related to the primary in the tonsil. So I will see the dentist in a couple days.......I hate the waiting game.....anyway, I took care of a couple other things while at the clinic, one of them being physical therapy for my neck.

Oh girl,
So sorry for the trauma--no wonder you had a meltdown!
I wonder if these people have any idea what this waiting/forgetting stuff does to us????
Sounds like it may well be good news tho, and at least you got much-needed PT!
Let us know how things progress

Brenda

Thanks, Brenda! I have been folowing your story--this is nothing compared to what you're going through. It's kind of you to take the time to reply. Keep your spirits up, girl!!

What a lousy thing to happen girlcat!

Next time, try confirming the day before and get their name. Then when you get there and they tell you that they don't have you listed, you can grab that person and throttle them til they remember!

God Bless!

Dear GC......What a roller coaster ride! Sigh..... At least you have the dentist's attention, and now he will be especially attentive to you since his office muffed it so badly today. Keep us posted.

Okay...big sigh of relief! The dentist said that the spot was not cause for concern, I could have caused it by too vigorously brushing my teeth. I guess its like a bruise.(I'll have my MO check it out next month anyway) She and the hygienist said they have never seen such a healthy mouth in a Head and Neck patient. I was so grateful to hear that because before my diagnosis in March, I had only been to the dentist once in the past 25 years. I know....shame,shame.
I was so nervous on the way to the dentist I didn't realize I was going so fast and got a 100.00 ticket! Shame, shame again.