Hi everyone. I'm a 24 year old new member.

A few weeks ago I became overly obsessed with a sore on the side of my tongue close to the front. I'm almost certain I've had it for a while.. months, if not years, but just recently became worried. The reason why I question even calling it a sore is because it doesn't bleed, it's not real red, and it doesn't hurt. I've been to my dentist for it and he seems to think its due to irritation from my tongue rubbing against a small gap I have in my teeth from a cross bite. If you were to look real closely at it it looks like a bunch of tiny taste buds clumped together.

My question is that if it was possibly tongue cancer should I have noticed anything else unusual? Could this be tongue cancer? And if not, are there any suggestions as to what it could be?

Joey, there are all kinds of things the sore could be besides cancer. Any sore inside your mouth that has been there for 2 or 3 weeks or longer should be checked by a professional (ENT or oral surgeon). Its not possible for me to list everything it might be due to several things. Its over the internet and cant see what is going on plus this group is not made up of medical or dental professionals. It could be anything including just an irritation as your dentist said. But, it could be something more serious too. To be on the safe side, go see an ENT who specializes in treating oral cancer patients. A biopsy is a simple procedure which will take about a week for the results to come back. That will tell you what is going on and if anything else needs to be done.

I hope its nothing serious. Good luck!!!

Thanks. I actually see an ENT for an unrelated issue so I'm wondering if he could check this out as well. My dentist had told me the first time I saw him about this thing on my tongue to come back in 2 weeks when he had to do a filling on a tooth, and that if he it was still there then he would send me for a biopsy. When I went back to him 2 weeks later he didn't even mention a biopsy and just said it was probably because of the cross bite issue. I have an appointment with another dentist that I see for strictly cleaning and check up purposes, he has a nicer staff when it comes to teeth cleaning, and I will bring it up to him as well. It's in the second week of May, do you think that to long of a wait?

Btw, if I do get a biopsy.. What is the procedure for that and does it hurt? I'm not to good with pain in my mouth.

I understand you are worried and its scary not knowing what is going on and if your sore is serious or not. Seeing a dentist is a waste of time. Its not who you need to see.

You should be seeing an ENT. They are the type of specialists you need to get checked by. Make sure you get one who specializes in oral cancer patients and not putting tubes in kids ears.

Here is info on biopsies from the main OCF pages.

Biopsy/Diagnosis info

Definitely see an ENT. It could very well be nothing, but anything unusual that has been around a bit should be checked out by a specialist. Not a dentist not an oral surgeon but an ent, who has dealt with Oral cancer. (those that haven't may think it's nothing especially if you are young and don't have any bad habits) Experienced ENTs know what to look for, and also know that the demographics are changing.

hugs.

Hi Joey. It's best to get it checked out just to be sure, which it sounds like you are doing. As Christine said, it could be something else entirely. Not to freak you out, but my spot was white and had no red around it either. Also did not bleed and there was no pain unless it rubbed the wrong way on my tooth, which was very infrequent. My doctor thought it was irritation and to be quite honest he was a little shocked after the biopsy results came back. So if you're not sure, always a good idea to ask. Better safe than sorry and to have peace of mind. Your time frame should be ok unless you want to move it up. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it isn't growing or changing. If it does, it may not hurt to get in sooner.

The biopsy wasn't much fun. Depending in the size they can do it as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. It will be tender for a few days but depends on location and size.

Good luck with everything!

Hey, thanks for responding. I think I know what you might possibly be talking about, thanks to google images. (Bad idea to search) anyway, mine isnt white either though, it's slightly redder than my tongue but pretty much the same color of my tongue. A pinkish color, sometimes redder after chewing or talking a lot. And mine is on the right side of the tongue towards the front, I'm not sure of your location. But I will definitely keep an eye on it until the next appointment with my other dentist and then ask him for recommendations.

Mine never presented as a sore. It wasn't white either. It grew inside my tongue just below the surface. My tongue was red and irritated - period. Cancer can manifest itself in different ways. That's why it's best to avoid dr. Google and have it checked out by someone who knows their stuff. Take care.

Joey - the sooner you get to a qualified and experienced ENT who has treated many oral cancer patients, the less time you will have to worry and stress over it. It may be nothing serious, but if it turns out to be oral cancer, you will be catching it early which will insure a better survival outcome. My son waited six months before seeing a dentist to check it out and luckily, the dentist sent him to an Oral surgeon who did the biopsy right in his office and then sent him to an ENT with extensive experience treating Oral Cancer patients. The biopsy was no big deal and took very little time. By the time the biopsy came back, it was a Stage 2 squamous cell cancer. You will save time by bypassing the dentist and oral surgeon and get yourself to a qualified ENT. Your health is important.

Hi Joey,

I agree with the other posters in having this checked by a qualified ENT. That being said, cancer is an uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells. Once it starts, it doesn't just stop and hang out. The fact that this "sore" has been there for months, even years, your dentist thinking it's an irritation due to an inherit dental issue along with your age bodes well that it's nothing sinister.

Definitely have it checked. Best wishes for an "all clear" from the doctor.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

I feel the need to add something to what T just said both for you and others who may be looking here even though I responded already. Again, this isn't to cause alarm in anyone, but rather just to have them be aware.

My tumor which was actually first noticed back in August of 2013 seemed to respond to prednisone and antibiotic mouth wash. The white spot that remained never grew in size although this may be inaccurate because it was slightly deeper than they thought but was still small in diagnostic terms with a depth of only .4 cm and that was after the biopsy when there likely would have been inflammation. When it would become irritated it would look only slightly more pronounced and then fade. These lesions could appear to not be growing but could be where you can't see.

It never hurts to get checked out by a qualified professional. Early detection, as many people here would tell you, saves lives. If it's nothing, no harm, no foul!