Cheekbones??

[Boneybrain]

changed my name because I feel really stupid. Yesterday I noticed my 13 year old ds had a big lump on his face, right in front of his ear, just above halfway up. I asked him what happened - looked like he’d been hit. He didn’t know and said it wasn’t sore but was a bit freaked out when he felt it. There’s one on the other side not nearly as prominent. They feel like hard boney lumps. Are these just his cheekbones?? Appeared overnight? Puberty is weird. Could it be anything else?

He is not overweight but definitely not in the least bit skinny.

Not stupid at all if it's concerning you. Maybe you should get him looked at just in case.

Puberty does change their face shape and they lay fat down in different places, my dd looked like a hamster for a few months. If it's very sudden it could be a cyst maybe? Or one of those large spots that doesn't get a head?

Thanks for replying. It’s too big for a spot. On my own face in the same place it’s completely flat. Going to see if it changes over the weekend before I do anything. Can just imagine the doctors face if I make an appointment because my son has cheekbones 😂

Why not pop in and ask a pharmacist to look at it?
Easier than to see a Dr and tbh often with a far better outcome
but I live I a country where we pay to see a gp so a pharmacy is always my first port of call

Sounds like his TMJs, his jaw bone joints

Thanks I’ll take him to the pharmacy tomorrow and ask them. Good idea 👍

Has he been to the dentist recently? Ours usually feels around the jaw bone and asks you to open/close your mouth while feeling the joint. It is probably worth a visit.

ds(18) has recently started having pain in his jaw in the morning and cant open his mouth, it also clicks when he eats (which I never noticed before but he says has been happening for "years" and he thought it was normal!)

He went to the dentist that pointed out how much is jaw joints poke out and says it is TMJ. I never looked that closely or noticed before, but now it has been pointed out I can see it. Hopefully it wont get any worse, but he has a mouth guard to wear at night as they think he might be grinding/clenching his teeth/jaw at night, and has been told to try not to extend or put pressure on his jaw (large mouthfuls, too much chewing gum, yawning too hard etc).

Does he chew loads of gum? My husband got these years ago and once he stopped with the gum, they disappeared

Not a gum chewer but he does have quite serious teeth issues and currently wears braces that are realigning his jaw. I thought it seemed too high up to be related but maybe it is.

Can you imagine going to the Dr and it truely is 'cheekbones' I'd be mortified and then have to find a new GP - which where I live, is impossible. (I have no idea what it could be and don't have a teenage son, so I am no help - sorry. Hope you get to the bottom of it!)