I noticed a white spot on my cheek mucosa. Can it be a oral cancer?
ADVERTISEMENT

Q. Why do I have painful white spots on the cheek mucosa for the last two days?

Answered by
Dr. Achanta Krishna Swaroop
and medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team.
This is a premium question & answer published on Aug 05, 2022 and last reviewed on: Aug 10, 2023

Hi doctor,

I noticed the side of my cheek started hurting two days ago, and I got scared today when I looked carefully back there and noticed this white spot. Please see the attached photo. I looked it up online, and they trained about oral cancer. What do you think it is? Please see the attached pictures, one from the morning and another after lunch brushing my teeth. Kindly help.

#

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through the images (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity) you have enclosed. It looks like an inflamed, red and white lesion of the cheek mucosa near the molars, but definitely, some lesions may be precancerous rather than cancerous, like leukoplakia or red and white lesions (self-limiting), which means they should disappear in a few days with the strategies I recommend. Start with lukewarm salt water, rinsing multiple times a day, and use Chlorhexidine mouthwash at night for around two to three months. However, I would like to ask you a few questions to help me diagnose correctly: when did you notice this lesion? Only from two days, or was it there previously? Does the lesion feel hard, or is it just like a patch on the cheek mucosa? Any history of smoking or alcoholism? Your answers will help me diagnose this lesion more accurately and give you any antibiotic prophylaxis or next step such as biopsy if needed.

Thank you.

Hello doctor,

Thank you for the response. I first noticed the lesion two days ago. It feels like a patch on cheek mucosa. There is no history of smoking or alcoholism. I noticed it first two days ago. My mouth was hurting in the morning, and I noticed a small bruise on my tongue. I looked with a flashlight and saw this spot near the upper wisdom tooth molar.

#

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

There is no need to worry then. Please observe this lesion for around seven days. If it does not disappear even then, you will need to get this physically examined by the dentist. What I wanted to know mainly was, is that patch painful or painless? Please let me know that. You can start now by applying Dentogel or Dologel CT (Choline Salicylate and Lidocaine) to the lesion. Continue salt water rinse several times a day and Clorhexidine mouthwash at night or twice daily after brushing. Do not brush that area too vigorously. Use an extra soft toothbrush. Please let me know if that patch area is hurting?

Thank you.


Was this answer helpful?

 | 

Same symptoms doesn’t mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!



Related Questions:
Do white spots on the lips after semen contact indicate an STD?

.. The spots cannot be due to an STD (sexually transmitted disease). It was your semen only that touched your lip, and this cannot be a transmission medium. This could be something else, but it is not associated with semen.   Read full

I have white patches on the tongue. What medicines should I take?

.. gone through the image (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Do not worry. It is not any type of precancerous lesion. Such patches usually come when you are not taking good balanced diet and take lots of snack items.   Read full

Oral Erythroplakia-Clinical Features, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Differential Diagnosis, and Management

However, only biopsy and exfoliative cytology can detect oral cancers and assess potential risk from premalignant lesions like oral erythroplakia, leukoplakia, and leukoerythroplakia ...   Read full

Also Read Answers From:

ideaComprehensive Medical Second Opinion.Submit your Case

Also Read


PCOS and Liver Problems
The hormonal imbalances in polycystic ovary syndrome could cause liver diseases. Read the article to know the relationship between these medical conditions.  Read more»
Inferior Alveolar Nerve Lateralization Technique
The inferior alveolar nerve lateralization technique is a surgical lateralization technique to reposition the nerve. Read the article to know more about this.  Read more»
COVID-19 and Ebola: Similarities and Differences
This article gives a comparison and broader overview of the outbreak of the two deadliest diseases that showed a greater incidence over the last two decades.  Read more»

Ask your health query to a doctor online?

Ask an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Now

* guaranteed answer within 4 hours.

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.