Public service announcement: regarding the importance of Oral Exams..... lumps, bumps, discoloration in the mouth (under tongue, cheeks or gums) NEEDS to be evaluated. Your mouth tissue should be smooth and pink. As part of your dental exam and routine teeth cleaning your hygienists and/or dentist should be looking at the WHOLE mouth and checking for these things. Lumps and bumps that do not go away after two weeks should be addressed and not just passed off as "scar tissu ball gowns under 100 ... e" from biting yourself.

My third surgery to remove what was left of the polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma was yesterday. This cancer grows into the tissues, muscles, nerves and bones that it surrounds. So not only have they had to remove the lump of cancer they also removed tissue, fat layers, muscle that controls some facial functions and the large salivary duct that drains saliva into my mouth from the parotid gland.

The earlier these lumps are addressed the lower the risk of invasion into surrounding tissues.

I can't stress this enough.. the last surgery resulted in a skin graft taken from my thigh and is sutured through my cheek. Because of the graft I am on a feeding tube until the graft is healed.

If your dentist or hygienist is not doing exams of your oral cavity - find a new one