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Cluster of very small raised dots inside cheek

I recently noticed a small (slightly larger than pencil-eraser-sized) cluster of 20 or so pinprick-sized raised light dots on the inside of my cheek, about 2cm to the inside of the cheek (near where the cheek makes contact with the first molar).

The effect of this cluster creates a 'rougher' feeling spot on the cheek. There is no pain or increased sensitivity, and I noticed it about a week ago.

I know abnormalities should be checked out by a dentist, but figured I would ask here first, since I just went to the dentist less than a month ago.

Thanks.
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Avatar universal
Did you ever figure out what this was? I have the exact same thing going on and kind of freaking out after years of smoking and chewing.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Hey, I am having the same thing and freaking out as well. Did you find out what you had or how much time it took to resolve? Please reply soon!
Avatar universal
In doing my initial Googling I came across fordyce granules, but whatever I have going on seemed smaller and less visible than pictures I found online.
These are each like pinpoint size, unless the cheek is stretched out in order to look in a mirror or something -- then they appear more exaggerated.

I hope that's what it is though, because apparently they're harmless enough.

10 points to you if that ends up being the case!

Thanks.
Helpful - 0
2084768 tn?1332382442
Ummm, it may be...and don't quote me on that - fordyce granules. They are an odd bunch, some people have them packed and highly visible, others have them in patches or even just a tiny cluster and barely visible. :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks again, you may not know it all but you know much more than I do about this!

Anyway, at this point I'm just posting as a trivia case, since I kind of expected, and has been confirmed, that it's not really possible to tell without looking. But I did promise to take a picture, so here it is: http://imgur.com/ON5yd.

This is my cheek flipped inside out in order to see what I'm talking about. I circled the patch I'm talking about (top), and also noticed another similar thing going on lower in the cheek, but it's not as pronounced so I don't notice it by touch.

The way this looks is exaggerated by the fact that the cheek is flipped, and  stretched in order to expose the area.

Anyway, hopefully this is nothing and I'm an idiot. For all I know, this has been there for a while, but I only noticed feeling it recently.

In the end, if it persists much longer I will just stop in to have my dentist take a look.

Thanks for all your help.
Helpful - 0
2084768 tn?1332382442
asmith45m,
I do not claim to know it all either way. I am actually currently a student, and even though I do work with patients...well I am years from actually working on them legally without supervision (At least I feel like it will be years away). :)

I am happy to hear that your dentist does oral cancer screenings, not a lot of practices do, and those that do...well they do not advertise/tell their patients what they are doing.

Lesions in my experience are used interchangeably in dentistry with pretty much anything else. It is incorrect, but it is the same story with "petechia" word. Should not be used in that manner, but it is.

In the end, everything is possible but one cannot beat proper clinical exam. :)

Best of luck to you.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This thought just occurred to me as well:

I have been chewing a fair amount of sunflower seeds in order to help quit chewing tobacco (toss a handful in the cheek). It would be pretty ironic if this little patch of pinprick-type bumps was due to those seeds poking into the cheek or something like that.

Seeds seem a much more plausible thing to be making contact with that area of the cheek. Doesn't necessarily explain the clustery nature though.

I would feel very dumb, and also mildly relieved, if that were the culprit.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Caliban,

A few things:

While I very much appreciate your advice, I understand it is not a substitute it for medical attention if needed. In the meantime, though, I'll take it at face value for what it is: good advice from someone more informed about this than me.

I have told my dentist about chewing, and we even did an oral cancer screening for good measure at last check. According to them, everything was deemed to be in great shape -- teeth, gums, and otherwise.

As for your response, this isn't a lesion, and is actually not that close to any location where chewing may have occurred (typically along the juncture of gums and cheek.)

I'll try to explain a bit better: it's located 1-2cm on the inside of the cheek (ie, as far in as the first molar.) However, height-wise, it corresponds to somewhere around the top of the bottom molar -- in other words, near where the top and bottom teeth bite together. Because of the location I might suspect it was bite-related; however, I don't recall biting in this area, and is actually quite awkward to bite there if I try to replicate that.

Anyway, I'm not trying to refute your suggestions by any means, but just want to be more accurate about how I describe my observations. I know if something persists and is serious to seek a professional opinion in-person, but just wanted to check whether or not this sounded common/typical of x, etc.

Some people have mentioned it being impossible to tell anything without being able to see what I'm describing. I'll try to take a few pics just for observation's sake.

My intuition is that this is something completely inconsequential. But like you mentioned, with a history of having chewed tobacco, if only for a short time, I tend to be overcautious about any differences I notice.

Thanks again for your input!
Helpful - 0
2084768 tn?1332382442
Chew may cause lesions, and it is usually at the location where snuff is kept/chewed at (Smokeless tobacco keratosis). Such lesion are white, plaque-like and somewhat see-through. The location - muccobuccal fold (you mention cheek area where it touches molars) would fit the location of where snuff is kept.

If it does not disappear in 2 weeks, I would highly advise you to tell your dentist about chewing tobacco.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the reply. For context, no smoking, but I have chewed tobacco on and off for about a year (know that's the worst thing to do, but currently in the process of phasing out completely and quitting, ugh). No herpes or cold sores, but I did have some sort of lesion/canker type thing in the same area a week or 2 back, which is what led me to notice this. No other changes of note.

I'll use the 2 week rule as you and others have suggested. Thanks again.

Helpful - 0
2084768 tn?1332382442
asmith45,
Do you smoke? Any changes in diet? Any changes in toothpaste, mouthwash? Do you have any type of herpes/cold sores (even though you mention to not having any discomfort)?

The list is pretty extensive and without seeing/palpating it, well it's pretty hard to tell.

Rule of thumb is - if something present and is not gone in 2 weeks - contact dentist.


Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for your reply. I know it's impossible to tell without seeing for yourself, but I figured I would describe my observations as best I could, in case what I noticed is a typical presentation of anything in particular.

I think I'll see the dentist if it persists, or I notice anything changing, but just wanted to get a quick opinion before taking that step.

Thank you for your input.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, it is impossible for even a mind reader to know what you have inside your mouth. If you aren't with symptoms or pain, and just saw a dentist, it's probably nothing to worry about. It could be where you occasionally bite yourself, especially by your description of location. There is a common finding called linea alba (aka cheekbite) that is like scar tissue along the occlusal plane of the molars. Very common. There are a zillion other common findings which are all benign. However, when in doubt, to ease your own mind, call you dentist and ask if they could just do a five minute Looksie at it and see if it needs evaluation by an oral surgeon. Probalby not. But leave that up to a dds to tell you. Don't try to be your own doc. The goal is for everyone to be safe and well.
Helpful - 0
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