Recurrent oral ulceration is a term used to describe small mouth ulcers which typically last a few days but come back every few weeks or months. Typically they affect the tongue, lips and cheeks, but any part of the mouth can get ulcers. They are very common, often starting in childhood. About two in every three people will have been affected with recurrent oral ulceration at some time in their lives.
Facial scars can arise from trauma or surgery. Scar revision is designed to improve or disguise the appearance of an existing scar. Scars tend to improve on their own with time and therefore surgery to revise a scar is not usually carried out for at least six months after the original injury or operation. Scar revisions can be carried out under either general anaesthesia (ie you are put to sleep completely) or local anaesthesia (an injection to make the area numb).
You have a cut on your face which needs to be stitched. The doctor who has examined you has already decided that it is too big to be glued or taped. The treatment that is about to take place involves a general anaesthetic, ie: you are about to be put to sleep completely.
A sialogram is a dye investigation of a salivary gland. It is carried out to look in detail at the larger salivary glands, namely the parotid or submandibular glands. These glands drain saliva into your mouth through small tubes (ducts). The parotid duct opens on the inside of the cheek next to the upper back teeth. The submandibular duct opens on the inside of the mouth under the tongue immediately behind the lower front teeth.
A radial forearm free flap is one way of filling a hole which is left when a cancer has been removed. It is one of the most common ways of replacing tissue in the head and neck, particularly after mouth cancers have been removed. It can be used to replace large parts of the mouth and has the advantage that when it heals it does not shrink so that hopefully speech and swallowing will not be greatly affected.
The sublingual gland is a salivary gland about the size of an almond that lies underneath the tongue in the floor of your mouth. Saliva drains from it through a number of small tubes that open on the inside of the mouth underneath the tongue. The most common reason for removing a sublingual gland is as a result of a blockage to these drainage tubes. This can lead to a swelling (ranula).
The parotid gland is a salivary gland that lies immediately in front of the ear. Saliva drains from it through a tube that opens on the inside of the cheek next to the upper back teeth. The parotid gland is most commonly operated on to remove a lump.
The wisdom tooth (or third molar) is usually the last tooth to erupt into the mouth anytime after about 16 years of age. Frequently there is not enough room to accommodate wisdom teeth and as such they do not come into the mouth normally. When this happens, the wisdom teeth are said to be “impacted”. Wisdom teeth are usually either impacted forwards into the tooth in front or backwards into the jaw bone.
The temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) is located in front of the ear where the skull and the lower jaw meet. The joint allows the lower jaw (mandible) to move and function. The joint itself is made up of two bones that are separated by a disc of cartilage. Ligaments and muscles surround the joint.
Burning mouth syndrome is a name given to discomfort or pain in the mouth. It often affects the tongue, lips and cheeks but other parts of the skin lining inside the mouth can also feel uncomfortable. Most people with the condition complain of a burning or scalded feeling. Burning mouth syndrome is a common condition. It often affects women, particularly after the menopause, but men can sometimes get it too. Up to one in three older women report noticing a burning sensation in their mouth.