*detailed question* Gum issue... don't believe it to be an abscess or blocked salivary gland?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

For the last several months, I have had reoccurring lumps of sorts on my gums. They started about a day after my last dental visit, where I had x-rays and all of the other usual dentist checkup-y things done and they didn't find any abscesses or any signs of oral cancer, or anything wrong except for some cavities that needed to be filled and early signs of gum disease due to poor dental care when I was younger and lack of checkups for a year or two. As far as I know abscesses or oral cancer (at least not in the stage of what I would consider to be a tumor, if it were cancer) don't just "appear" in a day after having x-rays and a full workup done on my mouth. I do have 2 teeth with cavities in the back of my mouth, which I think I have had for a while (one on each side, actually below where the lumps are) but the dentist didn't think either of them were THAT bad, but should be filled as soon as possible, though due to me not having any insurance he didn't see any reason that with proper personal dental care it couldn't be taken care of a little bit later when things were more financially stable and I had my insurance issue settled.. and then I could come in for a deep cleaning because I have relatively bad plaque/tartar buildup on my lower front teeth in the back, possibly elsewhere as else, I honestly don't remember what he said. I do have my wisdom teeth coming in slowly, but they are ONLY coming in on the bottom, nowhere near where my issues are. For whatever reason, the x-ray showed that I don't have top wisdom teeth. Anyway, I have these lumps on my gums, and everything I have ever read about abscesses says that they cause pain, usually immense pain, but mine don't cause any pain at all. They're not even a tiny bit sore, and they go away intermittently but then raise back up, usually in the morning when I wake up. It doesn't feel like they "drain" so much as inflame or swell. They are usually always above the back teeth on my gums, the one on the right is about the size of a jellybean, and is newer than the one on the left. The one on the right feels like I can move it with my tongue, like I can push it around and lift up part of it with my tongue, almost like it's leaf shaped with part of it being attached and the remainder of it being movable, but this is a new thing and before the lump has always just been a solid lump, never anything movable. The one on the left is smaller, and usually less inflamed than the right one usually. They feel as though they're filled with something, though I've read and heard that when an abcess bursts there is a VERY bitter and unpleasant taste in your mouth from the pus. When my... well, whatever they are, go down, I don't taste anything in my mouth, much less anything bitter or gross, and they don't hurt when they go down or when they re-appear. They slightly vary in size, but are always smaller than a jellybean, which is the biggest they ever get, and they don't get that big very often. The one on the right is pretty flat, and the ones on the left are usually more lumpy. As for color... the last I checked they are the same pinkish color of my gums, not white or yellow or anything. I don't have any underlying conditions, I am otherwise medically healthy. Any ideas as to what this is or how to go about treating it? I went on a cycle of antibiotics back in September when I first was terrified I had dental abcesses, but they didn't go away. My GP thought that maybe they weren't dental abcesses or a dental infection... but wasn't sure what they were since there was no pain and they didn't go away with antibiotics. I can't get to the doctor/dentist again until March at the earliest due to insurance, again. EDIT: As I have posted this question a couple of times, a few of the answers I have recieved have believed it to be a clogged salivary gland. The fact that this is on my upper, outer gum leads me to believe it is not in fact a Mucocele, as those are common on the roof of the mouth, under the tongue, and on the bottom lip / possibly cheek, etc. Mine is above my very last tooth on the right side on the top.. it wouldn't make sense for it to be there I don't think. Also, everything I have looked up has said that these blocked salivary glands are usually blueish in color, and mine are pink just like the gums around them.
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omg, that'sa lot of words, maybe it's nothing just listen to ur dentist or docter
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