Oral Cancer Fears; I know it’s mostly my anxiety.

[TuxedoCat]

So I have been here off/on particularly when my anxiety gets bad. I have been good with CBT for a while and it works. This time it kind of snuck up on me after moving multiple times in a year.

I have this swollen gum right by my upper canine. It bleeds if I go a little rough on it. I had something like this a year ago and had it checked. The dentist just had me wash with saline solution and massage the area for two weeks and it went down. The swelling never fully went away but it wasn’t inflamed with a whiteish patch anymore. I had burned the area severely a good six months before.

Same thing this time. I have a dental appointment next Tuesday but my fear is all over the place. I burned the area like a month or month and a half ago. And even thought to myself “I better not have a freak out about it later”.

Yeah... I have no control.

Now I’m worried it’s cancer. It has been well over a year with no change. Even with it coming back it isn’t any bigger or painful than it was. It only hurts or bleeds if I’m particularly aggressive with my toothbrush. Floss doesn’t seem to bother it and actually bothers other areas more.

I’m 28, never smoked in my life, never had any alcohol, had the HPV vaccine when I was 15. This predates any sexual activity as well.

I waver wildly between I know I’m overreacting and panic. I’m just so worried about it and Tuesday is so far away.

[bin tenn]

I hate when I get burns or cuts on my gums. It hurts like heck, and takes a while to heal sometimes. Use the saline rinse and massaging you did before, and discuss it Tuesday with the dentist. You'll be fine.

[ThroatGoat]

If you're worried about OC, I will always suggest you get to the dentist and have a screening done.

If you hate dental work or whatever, it's the least invasive thing you will ever experience there too. No needles, tools, drills or anything. Just a thorough examination, and you will have to wear some unflattering glasses.

[TuxedoCat]

Ugh I’m now obsessing over the idea of it being an abscess instead and am extremely worried it could be fatal for whatever reason. Never mind that I don’t have any of the abscess symptoms.

I’m hoping to call up and move my appointment earlier or see if another dentist can take me. Most are closed for the 4th of July. I’m dissolving into serious panic over it.

[TuxedoCat]

I’m posting an update. I did manage to find a dental appointment for today instead of Tuesday. The teeth are healthy. They want to do a biopsy on the gum as a precaution. Most likely it’s a swelling caused by my birth control much in the way pregnant women have swelling. It did first show up when I started taking it and decreased when I swapped to one with lower progesterone.

I’m still terrified since those are really my only two options. I have a biopsy scheduled for August 1st.