Hello all, first time posting here. I have had a small white lump on my lingual tonsil (back of tongue on the side) that has been there for almost a year. The bump itself has been painless. It sort of resembles a whitehead that you would get on your face. Other symptoms have been a constantly sore jaw all the way up to my ear. Slight swelling underneath the tongue as well (although not visible, just the sensation). I have been to a doctor that blew it off as "oh, it probably a cist." I wont have insurance for another 3 weeks so I cant see a dentist until then



I've been terrified for months now, any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry if I broke forum rules, I couldn't find a section pertaining to image hyperlinks.

Welcome to OCF! We will try to help you as best as we are able to. Please understand our group is made up of patients/survivors and caregivers. We do not have medical backgrounds or years of medical schooling, training and experience. That said, by looking at photos unfortunately none of us are qualified to give a diagnosis over the internet.

What you have described could be any number of things, many of them are not serious. The rule of thumb around here goes... If you have a lump, sore or a spot in your mouth that does not resolve itself within 2 or 3 weeks then you need to see a professional. By a professional I mean either an ENT or oral surgeon. Make sure you find one who treats oral cancer patients. They will be best qualified to do and exam and any testing needed to give a diagnosis.

I suggest seeking an ENT or oral surgeon. These doctors take medical insurance, not dental. Most dentists focus primarily on the teeth and ignore the other lumps and bumps. Going to the dentist will probably not get you the answers you need.

Wishing you all the very best with this. Hopefully its nothing serious and its easily fixed. Check back and let us know how you make out.

@AnDro.... Its not a big deal. Im sorry I had to remove them.

If you check out the Posting Etiquette thread under the New Here Read This First section you will find all the ins and outs of the forum.

Thank you for the response! I've never been through anything like this before, so I don't really know how things work. I was under the impression that I would have to see a dentist or GP to get a referral to an oral surgeon or ENT. Is there a way to skip this step? I feel like time is ticking away and I would like to shorten the process as much as possible. Thank you again!

Not all insurance companies require referrals. I would check with your insurance company to see if you can go directly to the ENT or oral surgeon. I suggest you begin researching a professional to go see. Some ENTs mainly put tubes in kids ears and some oral surgeons deal mainly with wisdom teeth and TMJ. Make sure whoever you see is experienced with treating oral cancer patients. Those physicians will have more experience in many kinds of lumps and bumps making it easier to diagnose.

Unfortunately this could be a hurry up and wait situation. Its likely going to be a good 2-3 weeks, maybe even more before you can get into see the doc. When you call if you are given a date thats over a month out ask to be put on their cancellation list. You can also follow up by calling once or twice a week and asking if you can be fit in for anyone that cancelled. Try not to get overly stressed out over the waiting. Stress will only make this harder. If a biopsy is needed that will take an additional few weeks before you get the results. Since you say you have had this going on for a long time, it probably will not change much in a few weeks.

Good luck!!!