Dentist has referred under 2 week rule - terrified!

[Worridoncemore]

About 3 weeks ago I found a small, firm, round, smooth bump right at the bottom of my gum behind my bottom front teeth, left of centre. I can feel it with my tongue but can't see it. It doesn't hurt at all. As I had a dental appointment coming up I decided to wait and mention it then if still there, hoping they'd reassure me.

I had the appointment yesterday and the dentist could feel it with her finger but couldn't see anything. She said that, while it could be nothing, it might be something in my salivary gland, such as a stone. Therefore, she had no choice but to refer under the 2 week rule. While she said she wasn't overly worried it was something bad (cancer), she couldn't take the risk and would never forgive herself! She said she was using the 2 week rule due to long waiting lists. She told me not to go away and have sleepless nights. Easier said than done!

I have crippling health anxiety which has been particularly bad this year, resulting in several hospital appointments and investigations which I've found very stressful and traumatic. I recently finished CBT which helped a bit and I've been trying hard to overcome my anxiety with some success but a few bumps along the way. This has put me back to square 1 and I'm devastated and terrified.

I'm trying to resist the urge to Google but would love to hear from anyone who's had similar and it's turned out fine, so positive stories only please.

Thanks so much in advance ☺

Just posting to say I think I have the same thing op.

I've never mentioned it to my dentist. Will on my next checkup.

@GhastlyBoo yes do mention it. My dentist said she probably wouldn't have spotted it if I hadn't pointed it out.

I will do. I've had mine at least a year and it's never caused me any pain so always tend to forget about it.

When my son was a teenager he had something similar. He'd had for a while apparently and hadn't mentioned it, but dentist our spotted it and referred him to a specialist dentist type doc at the hospital.

At the first and only appointment it was diagnosed - can't remember what it was, but nothing sinister. The doc made a small incision in the gum and removed the 'lump'; local ananesetic.

I sat in and watched. They were very matter of fact about it.

I had this but on my tongue, not sore. Just annoying as I kept touching it. I got sent to the hospital under the two week rule. I wasn’t worried till I was sent to the hospital and started googling. But they removed it and it was nothing.

I have one too and have had for years I think I will also mention to dentist on next visit. I am guessing just an extra bone lump I have them on my head confirmed with mri.
the two week rule is a good thing means you won’t need to wait for too long - doesn’t mean you have cancer. It’s very likely nothing but the stress you are causing yourself counts for a lot! What breathing techniques do you use to calm your vegas nerve?

I had one in my lip once, it was an irritated saliva gland and was removed.

Bizarrely this sort of thing doesn't worry me at all, please don't think about it too much.

I had exactly this too.

Now I have a painless lump on my eyelid now

It’s perfectly normal to worry about these things. The worry is the protective mechanism we all have, which takes us to the dentist/doctor. It’s just part of being human. I’ve had cancer and I know that the referrals and waiting for results is the very worst part. Happily most referrals don’t find anything serious but even when it is, I can guarantee that we find an inner strength that we don’t know we have, and we do cope.

To help me through the difficult days, I kept busy, saw friends and family and did lots of nice things. My GP was lovely and supportive and prescribed a sleeping tablet for the nights when I needed to sleep and forget.

All the best @Worridoncemore , you will get through it, I promise. 🌻

I’m a dentist. This doesn't fulfil the criteria of a two week wait referral and I think was rather inappropriate. Saliva stones are possible, but they are found on the floor of the mouth in the region where your tongue joins the floor, if it is a saliva stone, and it doesn’t sound like it is, it’s nothing to worry about in terms of treatment. Otherwise, it might be a fibrous lesion, a bony lesion that has been there forever or any number of harmless, self-limiting things. The lesion you describe, and its location are not a cause for concern, and I wouldn’t worry. Attend the referral appointment for peace of mind and take it from there. Until then I wouldn’t give it a second's thought.

@Bs0u416d thank you so much, very helpful. I did wonder as, although it is right on the very bottom of the gum just as it joins the area you describe, it is definitely on the hard gum and not the area below it.

At least I guess I'll get to find out soon what it is. I am a tooth grinder, especially on that side, so had wondered if it was related to that.

@Worridoncemore I'm puzzled by this and without a photo it's hard to be sure BUT it sounds like what I had, which was an abscess, caused by plaque/ bacteria. It was a hard red lump about the size of a small pea.

It was on the gum line at the base of a molar. It was monitored for 2 years during which time it didn't get bigger ( we hoped it would subside with regular hygienist appts) but an X ray showed the roots were changing (being affected) and there was also a small amount of pus coming from it, so I had an appt with the periodontist who did a deep clean which got rid of it.

my dentist is superb and each check up she looks for signs of cancer, feels neck glands, looks at the whole mouth etc.

Just to update, I've just had my appointment. Couldn't have been in there more than 5 minutes! Dr says she wasn't concerned it was anything sinister, maybe a bit of muscle or possible blockage in salivery gland. I made her feel it twice as unconvinced she really felt it first time. Is sending for non-urgent ultrasound so won't be for 2-3 months, with follow up in 5 months. She said if it did get bigger in the meantime I should get back in touch.

Not sure whether to feel reassured as seems very slow if it did turn out to be something to worry about. I have private insurance (with a big excess which is why I avoid using it where possible) but now wondering if I should be using it?

No. Like I said previously, nothing about the presentation or location suggests anything sinister. This never did fulfil the criteria for a 2 weeks wait and your dentist has made you unnecessarily concerned over nothing. Suspect cancer is always taken very seriously and acted on very swiftly. Be reassured by outcome of your referral appointment rather than concerned. Of course if you have the option of a private referral and this would make you feel better, by all means use it but I don't think you need to worry about expediency here.

I have this - the dentist also said it could be a stone. She has referred me but said she wouldn't do it under the 2 week rule, so it's going be a long wait! I think your dentist is just trying to jump the queue, which is fair enough in one way, but as more and more people are doing this it's messing up the system.

I know someone who had this happen and they got seen quickly . It was cancer but they got it out quickly and all is well. Best to get it seen asap .