Mouth Diseases

Symptoms of a mucocele

08/16/2008 10:59PM

Question:

I have a clearish-white bump underneath my tongue toward the back of my mouth. I have seen two ENT specialists who have told me it is a mucocele and therefore simply harmless. I was wondering if it is the case that a mucocele would become more bothersome after you eat or drink? After Dinner (a major meal for me) i feel discomfort in that region; no pain or anything (i may not have even stopped to think about it had i not noticed a thing in my mouth while cleaning the mirror and then brought it to the attention of a doctor). It passes by morning and i dont really notice anything all day long. It even seems that it changes sizes: it grows at night and my the next morning i can hardly feel it. So is it possible that this discomfort is just because of the mucocele?

Answer:

What you describe, including the association of discomfort with the evening meal, sounds as though it could be a mucocele or possibly a salivary gland that is partially plugged by a small stone (sialolith). What I cannot say for certain, however, is if the area will remain small (and simply harmless) or if it may eventually get bigger.

Rather than guessing its exact current size or location, I would suggest you seek one more opinion from an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The tendency for a mucocele to recur or redevelop is annoying to most people and conservative removal (simple surgical excision) is usually curative. Good luck!

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Response by:

John R. Kalmar, DMD, PhD
Professor and Graduate Program Director
Dental Faculty Practice
Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University