Dental and Oral Health Center

Small Hard Sore in Mouth 03/02/2010

Question:

I`ve had two small lumpy growths inside my lower jaw on each side and they have been fine but now one of them as a small hard sore on it and think it may be cancer mainly cause i have used chewing tobacco frequently. now im wondering where the best place for me to go to check it out, and also since i have no dental insurance if i could get some and they would cover a preexisting thing such as that. if it is cancerous or anything else

Answer:

Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide you with specific advice for your condition. Given your concern, however, it is certainly reasonable to pursue this further with an Ear, Nose, & Throat (ENT) physician. If he/she is concerned about the possibility of cancer, a biopsy would be the most definitive way to rule this out. This should be followed by an ENT physician for further recommendations. 

The links below have information about free or low cost medical and dental care for which you may qualify. 

Best wishes.

Free or Low Cost Health Coverage (Foundation for Health Coverage Education)
Medical and Dental Care without Insurance (US Department of Health and Human Resources)

Best wishes.

For more information:

• Read articles on this topic
• Browse the previously asked questions

Response by:

Amit Agrawal, MD Associate Professor of Otolaryngology College of Medicine The Ohio State University