hard white "bump" in mouth

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tc - 04 Jan 2004 06:19 GMT

I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
cheek. Could this be bone? It's hard like bone. I'm going to get
this checked out but have to wait for an appointment and would
appreciate your thoughts in the interim. Please tell me what you
think and whether this could be serious.... Thanks -

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WB - 04 Jan 2004 06:28 GMT

>I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
>gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
>cheek.

A good attempt at description, however, diffucult to decipher.

Let's start simply, upper/lower; right/left

Lingual, Lengua, Gingivae, Buccal mucosa...

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tc - 04 Jan 2004 17:04 GMT

> >I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
> >gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Lingual, Lengua, Gingivae, Buccal mucosa...

_________________________________________________________________________

Sorry - --- let me try to do better: lower (mandibular) right second
premolar. The bump is on the gums and it's lingual. If it's the
Universal Identification system, it would be directly behind 29.

Thank you very much for responding to me. I look forward to your
thoughts. I don't have a matching bump on the other side and don't
believe that this is something that I've always had. It's white and
hard. It doesn't hurt. I'm quite bothered by this. - Tina
____________________________________________________________________________

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WB - 05 Jan 2004 02:58 GMT

>> >I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
>> >gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>hard. It doesn't hurt. I'm quite bothered by this. - Tina
>____________________________________________________________________________

Hi Tina,

Am thinking that Dr. Joel may be correct. Sounds like Torus Mandibularis.
They are quite common and considered a 'variation' of normal.
They are not always bilateral (both sides).

If you have any way to post a picture; am sure the docs here would gladly render an opinion.

WB

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Joel M. Eichen D.D.S. - 04 Jan 2004 13:05 GMT

>I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
>gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
>cheek. Could this be bone? It's hard like bone.

DISCLAIMER: We have not seen this patient and therefore the
information that follows may not be accurate. Caveat Emptor.

REPLY:

It is and its normal. It is called torus mandibularis.

Is there one on the other side? They are most often bilateral.

Joel M. Eichen DDS

> I'm going to get
>this checked out but have to wait for an appointment and would
>appreciate your thoughts in the interim. Please tell me what you
>think and whether this could be serious.... Thanks -

99.9% chance that it is completely normal. See above.

Signature

Joel M. Eichen, .
Philadelphia PA

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*********

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or any other official agency either
actual or fictitious or Steve Mancuso.

Advice on the treatment or care
of an individual patient should
be obtained through consultation
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that patient or is familiar with
that patient's dental history.

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tc - 04 Jan 2004 19:38 GMT

Oh, I feel much better! Thank you!!! I only have it on one side. I
looked up torus mandibularis on the internet and certainly it seems to
be that. I'm going to keep the dental apptmt regardless, because I
am due to go anyway --- however, it's nice to not feel like I have
something serious. Thanks again -

> >I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
> >gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> 99.9% chance that it is completely normal. See above.

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Steven Bornfeld - 04 Jan 2004 21:04 GMT

> Oh, I feel much better! Thank you!!! I only have it on one side. I
> looked up torus mandibularis on the internet and certainly it seems to
> be that. I'm going to keep the dental apptmt regardless, because I
> am due to go anyway --- however, it's nice to not feel like I have
> something serious. Thanks again -

    I agree with Joel, it's almost certainly a torus.
    Long ago I saw a patient who thought she had a tumor, and with
increasing frustration pointed at a lesion I couldn't see--because it
didn't register with me as anything abnormal, so I kept looking past the
torus for a tumor which I obviously couldn't see. When I finally
realized she was pointing at her torus, I almost couldn't believe she
had previously been unaware of it. But these things grow--slowly, but
they do grow. And patients frequently are unaware of how things are
supposed to look.
    It's not a bad idea for dentists to demonstrate normal features to our
patients, so they are more likely to see problems when they really occur.

Steve

>>>I have a hard white lump on the soft tissue on the side of my bottom
>>>gums, the lingal part that is near the tongue, not the gums near my
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>>
>>99.9% chance that it is completely normal. See above.

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