I thought that a perfectly healthy salivary gland was a recurrence because I had never even really looked in my mouth before the cancer. We all had a good laugh over that. There are also discolorations from crowns, etc, and I tend to bite myself a lot. I have given up and leave it to the H&N surgeon - that's what I pay him for. Other than that - don't let it freak you out. Most of the stuff requires special mirrors anyway so you wouldn't be able to visualize it yourself. The tonsils hide behind the sides of the tongue so they aren't easy to see either. If there was anything involved with pain or a lump or palpable thickness then I would make an immediate appointment.