Understanding the Importance of Oral Biopsies
Are you experiencing unusual symptoms in your mouth? Symptoms like lesions, ulcers that don’t heal, sores that are persistent can be subtle signs of underlying issues and are worth paying attention to. Although many issues may turn out to be harmless, it is wise to get them checked. An oral biopsy is helpful to identify the cause of such unnatural changes.
An Oral Biopsy is a diagnostic testing procedure in which a tissue sample is taken from the mouth to be examined under the microscope. It is done to help identify abnormalities in the mouth, such as unusual growths, lesions, and changes in mouth tissue, which could indicate infections, tumors, or serious conditions like cancer.
By analyzing tissues, pathologists can accurately perform diagnosis, allowing early detection of serious conditions that require immediate attention. If you’ve found yourself wondering, “Do I need an oral biopsy?” or even searched for “oral biopsy surgeon near me”, you are not alone. Many people are not sure when an oral biopsy is necessary. In this blog, we’ll walk you through signs that indicate you need an oral biopsy. Understanding such signs and taking action will prove to be extremely beneficial for you.
Sign #1: Persistent Sores or Ulcers
Persistent sores or ulcers in the mouth are key indicators that something may be amiss with oral health. Unlike sores and ulcers that are caused by injury and heal within a few days, these linger for long periods of time, sometimes even weeks.
Reasons for Concern:
Sores or Ulcers are the loss or erosion of a part of the delicate tissues in the mouth. They appear on soft tissues inside the mouth, such as the lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, tongue, and the floor and roof of the mouth. Ulcers may be red, white, yellow or even purple.
Persistent sores or ulcers may be deeper. They can be painless or painful, and cause discomfort. Some sores and ulcers bleed when irritated, adding to the discomfort. If you have a fever, inflammation of the eyes, or blisters on the skin, along with sores and ulcers in the oral cavity, it is a cause for concern.
Potential Causes:
A persistent ulcer may be a sign of infections, such as fungal or viral infection. Bacterial infections can lead to sores and swelling from overgrowth of organisms that cause infections, such as syphilis or gonorrhea. In many cases, persistent ulcers and sores are linked to precancerous or cancerous cells, especially when there are existing risk factors like alcohol consumption and tobacco use.
When to Consult a Specialist:
Consult an oral surgeon if your sores or ulcers do not heal within two weeks, bleed, or cause discomfort. If you have no warning signs but have persistent ulcers or sores, feel generally ill, have a fever or have trouble eating, oral biopsy may have the answers to your diagnosis.
Sign #2: Unexplained Changes in Oral Tissue
Unexplained changes in oral tissues can be a significant sign of potential health issues, as they often indicate underlying health conditions that require oral biopsy.
Visual Changes:
Red Patches (Erythroplakia): If you have flat, red patches on the gums, tongue, and inside of the cheeks that are painless, do not ignore them.
White Patches (Leukoplakia): If you have thick, white patches that are rough and textured, there is a chance of it being precancerous. Rough, scaly patches and uneven skin surface may indicate abnormal cell development.
Associated symptoms:
If there is bleeding from soft tissues without any identifiable external cause, such as an injury, it is a matter of immediate concern. Unexplained pain or difficulty swallowing, chewing, speaking, numbness, and tenderness in mouth, lips, or tongue are symptoms you should look for.
Importance of Early Detection:
Early detection is crucial for preventing progression in precancerous conditions, such as leukoplakia or erythroplakia. There is a chance of preserving healthy tissue in case of early-stage cancer as treatment can be more effective. Your regular dental checkups can help with early diagnosis and improve survival rates.
Sign #3: Lumps or Swelling in the Oral Cavity
Lumps or swelling in the oral cavity can be major signs of oral cancer and viral infections. Recognizing the type, understanding associated risks, and knowing when to seek evaluation can make a significant difference in managing these symptoms effectively.
Types of Lumps:
- Benign Oral Growths: These are often non-cancerous lumps formed in the oral cavity. They may assume different shapes and forms depending on the cause. They may include warts, cold sores, canker sores, fibroma, and lichen planus. Some may require medical treatment or surgery to be removed.
- Malignant Tumors: These are cancerous tumors in the oral cavity. They may appear as irregular white, red, or mixed patches or hard, persistent lumps or ulcers in areas like the tongue or inner cheek. There may be raised nodules with ulcerated surfaces. If there is severe pain while swallowing, hoarse voice, weight loss or lymph nodes swell abnormally, it may indicate the development of malignant tumors.
- Infections and cysts: These may be painful lumps, filled with pus, caused by bacteria around teeth on gums. Persistent fungal infections that cause many small lumps may require urgent attention.
Associated Risks:
Painless oral warts may result from chronic infections such as HPV (Human Papillomavirus). Cold sores that look like cysts or appear as bubble-like ulcers around the mouth may be linked to HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus). Persistent lumps or ulcers that do not heal may indicate oral cancer. Tumors like Squamous cell carcinomas account for 90% of the oral cavity cancers. Few benign growths have the risk of developing into cancerous lesions over time.
When to Consult a Specialist:
If you have lumps or swelling for more than two weeks without improvement, if there are painful lumps that restrict swallowing or chewing, or lumps in your oral cavity that grow rapidly or abnormally, you should begin the consultation process.
Sign #4: Persistent Pain or Discomfort
Persistent pain or discomfort in the mouth, jaw, or throat is concerning. Chronic pain and irritation may be indicators of serious conditions. It is important to understand the types of oral pain and the potential conditions causing discomfort so as to seek evaluation from professionals.
Types of Oral Pain:
There may be persistent pain in the mouth, and intense pain isolated to a single spot that worsens while eating or swallowing. Dull throbbing pain spreading across the mouth and radiating from the jaw to the neck or ears may indicate deeper issues.
Potential Underlying Conditions:
If you have persistent pain and bleeding combined with other symptoms like lumps and ulcers, it may indicate the development of oral cancer. Chronic, bacterial, or fungal infections can cause severe throbbing pain, soreness, or tenderness.
Importance of Professional Evaluation:
Persistent pain in the oral cavity should never be ignored as it may lead to many underlying conditions from infections to cancer. Seeking a professional evaluation and oral biopsy can prevent disease progression and can provide an accurate diagnosis.
Sign #5: Difficulty Swallowing or Chewing
Reasons for Concern:
Persistent pain while swallowing food, and the sensation of food being stuck even when food is not consumed, can be early signs of growth or lesions in the oral cavity. If there are loose gums, difficulty moving the jaws, and stiffness that interferes with the chewing process, it may indicate the underlying abnormalities.
Potential Causes:
Precancerous Lesions like leukoplakia and erythroplakia can cause irritation and discomfort in your mouth. Chronic inflammatory conditions or infections might make your mouth tissues more sensitive and interfere with chewing and swallowing. Nerve damage or muscular disorders affecting the jaws or tongue can cause ongoing issues with swallowing and chewing.
When to get a Biopsy:
If swallowing and chewing become more difficult even after two weeks, along with other symptoms like lesions, a biopsy could help rule out cancer or other severe conditions. If there is a chronic sore throat with lumps and there are patches that get worse progressively, you should consult an oral biopsy surgeon right away.
The Oral Biopsy Procedure: What to expect
Overview of the Procedure:
If you have sores, lumps, or lesions that cannot be diagnosed based on your history and clinical findings alone, Oral Biopsy may be necessary. The biopsy procedure is an essential diagnostic test in dentistry that provides tissue for microscopic analysis.
Oral Biopsies are carried out under local anesthesia (injection) to numb the affected area. The remaining procedure is painless. After the removal of sample tissue from the affected area, it is sent to the pathology lab for examination under the microscope. The biopsy procedure takes about 15-20 minutes in general. You may feel pain and discomfort which will ease in a few days.
Types of Biopsies:
- Excisional Biopsy: In this type, the entire lesion is removed. When lesions are small, an excisional biopsy is performed and healthy tissues along with small lesions are extracted.
- Incisional Biopsy: Through this biopsy, only a portion of the lesion is removed. It is performed when the affected area is large and removal is difficult.
- Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy: A fine needle is used to collect cells from patches, lumps, or suspicious areas.
- Punch Biopsy: A circular blade is used to remove a small core of tissue. It is useful for examining surface-level abnormalities.
Post-Procedure Care
Understanding the biopsy procedure, and knowing what to expect will prepare you for post-procedural care.
- You may experience mild pain and swelling around the biopsy site, which is common after the biopsy procedure.
- Applying ice packs might reduce the swelling.
- Brushing and flossing teeth directly near the area of the biopsy is to be avoided for a few days.
- Gently rinsing the mouth with a saline solution or mouthwash can reduce the risk of infection.
- It is best to consume soft food for a few days following the biopsy procedure.
- The healing process may take one to two weeks.
- If there is persistent bleeding, severe pain, or signs of infection after the procedure, you must contact your oral surgeon.
Here’s an informative video by The American Dental Association that you can refer to.
Taking Action for Your Oral Health
Taking care of your oral health is not optional. If you have persistent lesions, thickened patches, lumps, or textured surfaces in the mouth or tongue, have difficulty swallowing, irritation or discomfort due to bleeding you must start the consultation process with an oral surgeon for your diagnosis. It is natural to be concerned about unnatural growth.
At Ridge Oral Surgery, we take extreme care of your well-being. Our skilled oral surgeons are here to assess your concerns and will answer all your questions. We will guide you through every step from initial examination to post-procedure care. We will make sure you are informed and stay at ease throughout any surgical process.
You can contact us to schedule your next biopsy consultation or address other oral health concerns. We are here to provide the attentive, personalized care you deserve.