Went for a regular cleaning at the dentist last week and they hygenist asked the dentist to look at what appeared to be white "striations" under the tongue crossing both sides of the frenulum. When i do lift my tongue, they kind of look like fish scales in the floor of my mouth. My dentist says she happens to be very aggressive especially with smokers which i am...i am currently 29 and have smoked for about 12 years. However, after the biopsy today, the white lines, which are very parallel in nature seem to be less distinct than they have been over the past few days...has anyone ever had symptoms like this...they do not hurt, i cannot feel them, just straight white lines...any info is helpful as i am going a bit stir crazy!!!!
DM

DM,

I am an oral cancer survivor and a dental hygienist whose initial diagnosis was made with a brush biopsy. Your dentist is 100% right to be aggressive about checking things out because that is the only way oral cancer is found early. But to put your mind at ease, 85% of brush biopsy results come back as normal. Of the results that come back as "atypical" and need a scalpel biopsy, only 30% of those are preancerous or cancerous. The white patches under your tongue are most likely okay, but if you continue to smoke, and the white patches remain, you should have them brush biopsied annually. Just because they are okay today doesn't mean they can't under go a malignant change in the future. If you quit smoking, most of the white patches will go away within a few weeks. Any that remain should be removed because they are the spots that will most likely become precancerous or cancerous.

Please let me know what happens with the brush biopsy.

Barb

Barb, thanks for the info, i guess my one question would be that god forbid this is something positive, does it sound to you like it would be in the "early" stage. From what I have read, later stages will start to present, pain, lumps, sores, etc. I have been feeling my neck like crazy and obviously have not felt any lumps or anything like that...most people i have shown the floor of my mouth too...although not experts, say, looks like a tongue to me!! any more suggestions.

DM,

Don't worry about what you might have. It aint cancer till they prove it is. Worrying about your neck won't help either. Quitting the cigarettes would help in many ways. If you are still worried, go to an ENT that specializes on oral cancer.

You are only 29 and getting a good wake up call...stop the smoking!

Ed