Bump on inside of my cheek.

[infamous111]

I woke up this morning and felt a bump on the inside of my cheek.  When I looked at in the evening, I saw a visible black bump.  Is it likely I just bit my cheek in my sleep, or is this possibly something more serious?

Thanks!

[suzi-q]

Give it a few days to see if it goes away.  Is it black or dark purple?  I recently went to the oral surgeon about a bump under my tongue.  He told me that 99% of the "lumps, bumps, or what have you" in our mouths are not serious.  But, go to an oral surgeon if it doesn't clear up just to be on the safe side!

[MIkeBNY]

I had a similar situation two weeks ago. I noticed a bluish-black bump on the inside of my cheek. I didn't worry about it, and decided to see what happens in a week. Well a week came and went, and the bump was still there. I went to the dr. and he said it "looked nothing like cancer." He poked at it a while with a needle, and said that the bump was getting darker as he probed. He concluded that it was a blood clot, probably from biting my cheek. It said "let's look at it in a week." Three days later, the dark spot is gone. He must have helped broken up the clot and it dissolved. Oral cancer is rare (especially those that would turn up black (ie. melanoma), but you should get it checked out if it doesn't go away. It will at least put your mind at ease.

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

Biting your cheek is certainly a possibility. If the bump persists more than 7 to 10 days then I would consider seeing an oral surgeon.