Dentists cannot diagnose painful "bump" inside my mouth under my wisdom toothe area after two years of pain!

Question

I have had this weird bump underneath my wisdom teeth area for over a year. It feels like enlarged nerves or veins. Two dentists cannot tell me what it is and I am in alot of pain. The bump rolls around under the skin. I had my wisdom tooth removed and the dentist said it would clear up and it only got more painful. I feel like I want to drill into my empty wisdom tooth space to relieve the pressure I feel. They could not see anything in the X rays. They also checked for clogged saliva gland and that's all clear. I am getting scared that this is something cancerous or something really scarey because they cannot identify it! They act like it's nothing but I got my tooth pulled 10 months ago and this bump is only getting more bothersome. I am 28 and haven't had any other dental problems previously to this. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Get a third opinion from an oral surgeon (probably the one that removed your wisdom teeth).  You may need a biopsy to be completely satisfied with the diagnosis.  (That shouldn't scare you, it is just one way of confirming clinical diagnosis).

Good luck.

Answer 2

I would find an oral pathologist in your area, or an oral surgeon, and have them take a look.  A bump that rolls around under the oral mucosa and provides a feeling of pressure would seem to be a cyst or tumor to me.

Answer 3

I agree that you need an oral surgeon, but I think I'd find a new guy.  You can arrange for your films to be sent to the oral surgeon.  I think if he biopsies the site he could also figure out how to relieve the pressure there, or he could just excise the entire bump.  I don't know if it would be better to laser it away, or cut it out.  I have heard of little "blood pools" that happen after wisdom tooth removal, where the blood/fluid just collects in one area.  

You could also try a micro neurosurgeon: perhaps a nerve bundle got damaged somehow?  If it's a nerve problem, that's why nothing bad is showing up on the xrays, and that's good.  And it just doesn't sound malignant because it seemed to be in the wisdom tooth timeline.  

Bless your heart, this must hurt like anything.  I would do super-salty warm salt rinses 5 or 6 times a day until you can get seen.    

I just suggest a new doctor or OS because the dentist may be worried that he did something, and he's sent you to other dentists who will cover his butt.  I'm concerned they're more worried about him than about you.  A new OS that you select would be more aggressive about treating this, I think, and maybe more honest.  I'd ask him/her what all the possibilities are, so a differential diagnosis can be made.

Good luck with this.