Oral Cancer Concerns - Was at Dentist

[ToasterOvens]

Hi all... I come from AZ. Haven't have issues with anxiety in a while, but its back.

Long story short with my current issue... there is a bump on the roof of my mouth on the mid-line, towards the right. 5mm max. Same color, smooth, movable. I can actually pop it if I want and it goes away for days.

Thought I'd pop into the Dentist and it was terrifying. He heard about the bump and immediately ordered panoramic xrays. He's a very loud man, but very friendly. Eventually my x-rays are done and he reviews them. The conversation goes like this.

"Interesting. This looks like a "Insert medical words here" cyst. Entirely benign. See its location here. That's how you can tell, I'm sure of it." - Dentist

"So its not cancer?" - Me

"Heck no. Cancer doesn't form there. I bet maybe like 0.0000001% of lesions there are cancer. This isn't cancer. I haven't seen this type of cyst in 10 years. Lets schedule your teeth cleaning in a month. My friend is an oral surgeon and I'll have him look at these. I'll call you tonight and you call him tomorrow to get it enucleated." - Dentist

"You calling me tonight makes me a bit nervous, as though he'll have a different opinion." - Me

"This is not cancer. Do you want to see pictures of cancer? I'm not going to show you because you'll dig around. This is a cyst. You have nothing to worry about." - Dentist


So... obviously... I'm terrified. He hasn't called yet. Its 5:24PM here.

Here's my concerns:
1. Why's he showing the oral surgeon? Is it possible he'll give me a cancerous diagnosis? Potentially salivary gland?
2. Should I be concerned that this is some cyst that he doesn't see often? Does that make it rare, or does one individual dentist not see the same diseases repeatedly?
3. Am I overreacting?

Of course... I'm 28, nonsmoker, barely a drinker. So...

[AMomentofClarity]

Trained Dentist: Does thorough checkup, adamant you don't have cancer. Shows pictures to fellow highly trained, experienced medical professional, strictly to reassure you.

You: Asking internet strangers with no medical training (yes, the University of Dr Google doesn't qualify) if they think you might have cancer.

[ToasterOvens]

Ha. I feel pretty dumb when you say it like that.

I think it all comes down to whether he’s showing the X-rays cause he’s unsure or if it’s for my reassurance.

There was zero hesitation when said it was a cyst though. Didn’t have to look anything up. He just knew what it was even though he sees them infrequently. So that makes me feel like he’s accurate.

[Fishmanpa]

Ha. I feel pretty dumb when you say it like that.

Respectfully, I know in your mind, you perceive it as a threat, but when someone questions a medical professional or scientific medical tests and is still as terrified as you say you are then yeah, it does sound a bit silly to someone who doesn't have HA :blush: Especially when he's referring you to an oral surgeon to have it removed so it won't bother you anymore.

Positive thoughts

[ToasterOvens]

Truthfully it is scary. I look for clues related to my doctors and dentists expertise. I even note where they graduated from.

It’s annoying. There are a thousand reasons he’d show the X-rays to the surgeon. Maybe to get his opinion on whether it could be left alone. How easy the procedure is. Etc.

My brain just automatically goes to “My dentist is seeking another opinion because he’s unsure and the surgeon will see cancer where my dentist does not.”

I wish I had a way to break out of this. I stayed in bed all day.

[Fishmanpa]

There are a thousand reasons he’d show the X-rays to the surgeon.

No, there's "one" reason. He told you the reason. Your dragon won't allow you to believe it!

Positive thoughts

[ToasterOvens]

Yea I shouldn’t worry. If there were major concerns he would’ve communicated that.

[Carys]

Trained Dentist: Does thorough checkup, adamant you don't have cancer. Shows pictures to fellow highly trained, experienced medical professional, strictly to reassure you.

You: Asking internet strangers with no medical training (yes, the University of Dr Google doesn't qualify) if they think you might have cancer.

...and can I add to that....trained dentist quite clearly said he was showing the oral surgeon so that they could arrange to 'enucleate it' (which is something to do with removing the central section and presumably getting it to disappear for good. You also said you could 'pop it' and it goes away for a few days. Then it presumably refills. So, everything he told you is sustantiated by your own evidence !

Gosh, really, you've been given a MAJOR all clear and this is brilliant news, just accept it.

[ToasterOvens]

Thanks Carys. You really helped put it into perspective.

Also my dentist didn’t call me last night. And his office is closed today. So if there was anything urgent, I think he would’ve reached out. I think that’s more evidence that everything is as he said it was.

[worrywart29]

You can’t just pop cancer and it go away and come back. Cancer is a tumor or a mass. It doesn’t go away (even for a little while) unless it is removed. The fact that you can pop it told me it was a cyst before I even read the rest of your post. Trust the dentist. He told you what it was and was even adamant about the fact that it was a cyst. Nothing about his response seemed as if he was unsure. Believe him and move on.

[ToasterOvens]

Good point. Plus he took X-rays and I recall reading that solid and liquid look entirely different on X-rays. I wish I didn’t assume the worst.

[Carys]

I honestly have no idea why you would be thinking the worst right now.:shrug:

[ToasterOvens]

I guess it’s cause he said he was going to call me after talking to the surgeon. I assumed that maybe their opinions would differ. But now that I’m thinking more clearly, it’s probably because he knew I was scared and wanted to reassure me.

Because I asked if I should worry while waiting for his call and he said, “I know it’s easy for me to say because I’m not in your position, but you have nothing to worry about.”

[Leslie735]

I really think you are ok. Really really do.

Did he ever call you to let you know what the other Dr. said?

[ToasterOvens]

Nah. Oddly his office is closed today too.

I think that’s a positive thing though. If it was serious, he would’ve gone out of his way to call.

[Leslie735]

Exactly! You're good to go!

[ToasterOvens]

Thanks everyone. I feel genuinely better. He told me to not worry and I did the opposite. :doh:

[ToasterOvens]

Just an update.

Oral surgeon agreed with my dentist. I got a call back reassuring me that it was nothing to worry about and that's the whole reason he asked another doc, like all of you suggested.

There's no rush to do anything with it. Consultation is a month away. Doctor thinks they'll just scrape away the skin on the roof of my mouth and remove the cyst.

Thanks everyone. Replying on here and helping people see through the anxiety fog really does change lives. In the past I would've been worried about this for months, would've lost a bunch of weight, and would've stopped being myself.