Welcome to OCF. Congrats on the twins arriving soon.

With what you are describing, its a wise decision to see the dentist. Does your dentist do a complete oral cancer screening? You may also want to go a step further and schedule an appointment with an ENT (ear, nose and throat specialist) to take a look.

The only way to tell if its oral cancer is thru a biopsy. That would be done if the doc thinks what you have looks suspicious. Having a biopsy done can be quite a scary experience. Pain wise its not too bad. It takes about a week to get the results.

Glad to see you have quit the tobacco habit. Not trying to preach, but alcohol should be eliminated as well. If mortality is something you are concerned about then leading a healthy lifestyle will help you live much longer. Im a long time former smoker myself and know its not easy to give up our vices.

Hope your worries turn out to be nothing at all. My advice is to relax and not let worry overtake your mind. You have a miracle happening soon (actually two miracles), enjoy these moments. Please post an update to let us know the results. Best wishes for a bright future for you and your new family.