Introduction:
Have you ever wondered what the hard or soft lump in your mouth is? It would have stayed longer than you expected, and sometimes, it could have scared you as well. The good news is it is not anything scary or malignant. Instead, we call it oral fibroma, which is a widespread benign growth in the mouth that could be of any size. It could be soft or hard, or it could be smooth or rough. Oral fibromas are also commonly called reactive hyperplasia. As the name suggests, they are benign fibrous growths found at the site of constant irritation or trauma to the tissues in the oral cavity.
What Is Oral Fibroma?
Oral fibromas are benign growths seen in the oral cavity at the site of irritation. They are more commonly called by other names such as reactive hyperplasia, traumatic fibroma, focal intraoral fibrous hyperplasia, oral polyp, or a fibrous nodule. The shape, size, structure, and consistency may vary depending upon the composition of the fibroma. Oral fibromas can also be pedunculated; that is, a stalk might be evident that connects the outgrowth of tissue to the underlying tissue. However, not all oral fibromas are pedunculated.
What Causes Oral Fibroma and Who Is More Commonly Affected by Oral Fibromas?
As the name suggests, traumatic fibroma or oral fibroma is found intraorally, and they can be found anywhere intraorally in the tongue, inner surfaces of the cheeks, or gums. Any constant localized trauma can lead to tissues' outgrowth, hence the name traumatic fibroma.
Older people are more commonly affected by oral fibroma, and there is no gender predilection seen. That means both men and women are equally affected by oral fibromas.
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Wearing an ill-fitting denture can cause constant irritation to the underlying tissues, leading to traumatic fibroma.
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Any compulsive habits like biting of the cheek or lips may cause traumatic fibroma.
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Dental prostheses like crowns and veneers that do not fit properly might cause irritation to the underlying and adjacent tissues, leading to oral fibromas.
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Ill-fitting orthodontic brackets with sharp edges that cause constant irritation can lead to oral fibromas in younger adults and children.
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When a person has teeth out of the arch that interferes with the inner cheek while biting, it may lead to oral fibromas.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Oral Fibroma?
Your dentist can easily identify oral fibroma by the presence of the following signs and symptoms,
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Oral fibroma most commonly does not cause any symptoms.
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Oral fibroma presents in the mouth at the site of constant trauma as a firm nodule or growth.
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The growth mostly remains in the color of the surrounding tissues; however, sometimes, constant trauma and bleeding of the nodule may change the color to bright red or pink.
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The oral fibroma can be seen with a stalk that connects the growth to the underlying tissue, and such a condition is called pedunculated oral fibroma.
How Can an Oral Fibroma Be Diagnosed?
Your dentist can easily diagnose oral fibromas or traumatic fibroma by asking specific questions like,
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Do you have any history of trauma at the site of growth that could be caused by a dental prosthesis or any biting habits?
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The dentist will check intraorally for any ill-fitting dental prosthesis or check for any teeth out of the arch that might injure the soft tissues during occlusion.
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A biopsy might be performed to exclude the other conditions like Cowden syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, familial fibromatosis, and fibrotic papillary hyperplasia of the palate.
How to Treat Oral Fibroma?
The most common oral fibroma or traumatic fibroma treatment is to remove the growth locally. This removal of oral fibroma can be done in two ways, namely,
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Surgical removal of oral fibroma under local anesthesia using a scalpel.
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Laser removal of oral fibroma.
The most recent method of removal of oral fibroma is laser removal because it minimizes the scarring after removal. The removal of oral fibroma using a scalpel might need a suture, and it might lead to permanent scarring of the tissues. Also, the conventional method of removing oral fibromas using scalpels might lead to unwanted and undesirable blood loss.
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The removed tissue is then sent for biopsy to rule out the presence of other conditions that mimic oral fibromas.
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The next and most crucial step in managing oral fibroma or traumatic fibroma is to remove the presence of any object or ill-fitting prosthesis that caused oral fibroma.
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The sharp edges of the tooth can be smoothed to avoid future trauma.
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Orthodontic treatments can correct any tooth that is misaligned.
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Sharp or rough edges of any dental crowns or fillings should be smoothed.
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Ill-fitting dentures should be redone, or they should be trimmed and polished to fit perfectly.
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Any habits like cheek biting should be ceased by proper counseling.
Conclusion:
Oral fibroma is a benign condition, and they do not become cancer. Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary to remove oral fibroma. Also, any sharp edges, ill-fitting dentures, or habits that caused constant trauma to the tissues must be corrected to avoid future injury, which might lead to recurrent oral fibromas. Any painless growth in your oral cavity need not cause you to stress, as not all growths are considered to be cancer. They can be as simple as a traumatic fibroma caused due to your ill-fitting denture or your orthodontic brackets, or your compulsive cheek biting habit might have developed your traumatic fibroma. If you notice any intraoral growth associated with trauma, do consult your dentist to get it diagnosed and remove it as soon as possible.
