Salivary Gland(s)

[PennStatePride]

Hello, and thank you very much for your response. I am a 23 year old male, and do not drink/smoke. I am wondering if this is normal; on the floor of my mouth, I noticed what feels like a tiny bump located under the skin. When I play with it with my tongue, it is somewhat mobile and causes me no pain. It is about half the size of a pencil eraser, if even that big. Specifically, it can be found when I place my finger on my tooth immdeiately to the left of my right canine tooth, and drag it down to where the palate turns from hard to soft. If I use my finger, I can feel a similar bump on the left side, but cannot feel it with my tongue. Do you think this is a cause for concern? (it has been present for about 4-5 months now, at least since i first noticed myself playing with it). Are there nodes/glands on the floor of the mouth that can be felt if probed? (I would never feel it but for pressing my tongue firmly agaisnt the floor of my mouth). Thanks a lot, Phil

[Michael H Kirsch, DDS]

PennStatePride,

It is difficult to comment on your question since you first mentioned that the lesion was on the floor of your mouth and a couple statements later you typed "where the palate turns from hard to soft."  Well,  the palate is composed of two sections the hard and the soft which is on the top (roof) of your mouth.   So you've described two anatomically distinct areas.

In either case, any lesion or mass that persists in the oral cavity for more than two weeks requires evaluation by a dentist or Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.  These provider would be trained to determine if what you have described is part of the "normal" anatomy or something else.

Infections, salivary stones, enlarged glands, lymph nodes, cysts and tumors can all present the same way to patients.  So to answer your question directly - Yes, this is a cause of concern until a professional has determined otherwise.

Information contained within this reply is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a medical diagnosis or treatment recommendation.  This is not a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Always seek the advice of your own doctor for medical condition. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.

[moo64]

A related discussion, burning tongue and dry mouth was started.