Joined tonight after reading some of the fantastic advice on here and such a wealth of experience.

I live in the uk and am an outdoorsy grandma ..... currently camping with granddaughter on half term holiday .

I am sure you will understand when I say I wish I was not having to be here on this forum but if I do need support then here looks like a friendly and informative place to come.

I have had jaw surgery a few years ago to resolve misalignment of jaw ( at grand old age of 52 lol) and only problems after were some residual altered sensation in chin and salivary duct stones. Recently had what I thought was a blockage again... pain and swelling along and under jaw... but worse. Did the usual salt washes and sucking citrus to no avail and in attempt to see if anything else a problem I took out my partial back denture and shone torch into thr depths!

There to my surprise was a rather necrotic looking irregular shaped ridged / indented ulcer looking nothing like regular ulcers. Its right on the gum at the back motly under where the end of the denture lies and totally painless ... if denture had caused it would surely have been agony !!!!

Went to dentist next day .... got antibiotics which seems to have sorted out swelling ... and if ulcer not gone in 2 weeks will be off for referal to hospital for biopsy.

I was a nurse so have a little savvy re medical stuff though not a lot lol.... I was a trauma bod not anything much to do with this sort of stuff .... but know enough to be aware of the possible diagnosis.eg it might be scc. I know only a biopsy will be definitive but the clinical appearance seems to hint at it !

So I see from reading here there are a couple people at least with scc on the gum which is not common ... so if I am to join the club so to speak I may be asking loads questions.

For now however maybe just a little virtual hand holding might be appreciated.

Thank you.