Your general dentist can provide you with a referral, or you may consult the online directory of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons for contact information for an oral surgeon near you. The expertise of this type of clinician is best suited for identification of lumps and other findings of the jaws. It is for this reason that the most rational way of determining whether your lump is a normal anatomic variant or whether it is due to an abnormality would be to consult with a dentist, preferably an oral surgeon. There is the potential for odontogenic cysts (cysts originating in embryonic tooth tissue) to cause jaw lumps, and of the abnormalities that cause hard lumps in the jaws, is the most common. Primary malignancy of bone (osteosarcoma) can cause enlargement of bone contours, and is more common in young people, but is relatively uncommon in the jaws. Lymph nodes can become hard and fixed in cases of metastatic malignancy (primary malignancy of nodes can feel harder than normal nodes, but are not nearly as hard as bone), and you are hardly in a demographic where head or jaw malignancy are likely. These can become inflamed, but in these cases they are usually soft and movable, and it is for this reason that inflammation of the lymph nodes or parotid gland are unlikely suspects. The angle of the mandible (see diagram) is covered by one of the major salivary glands, the parotid gland, as well as numerous lymph nodes in the inferior auricular and parotid chains. There are less common conditions that could conceivably present in the manner you describe, and I include them for the sake of completeness, although they are far less likely. See this diagram from Gray's Anatomy (here the groove for the facial artery is designated by its less common name, the external maxillary artery): The part of the lower jaw behind this groove can feel prominent, and can even become enlarged due the influence of the masseter muscle, one of the strong muscles at the side of the jaw. This groove accommodates the facial artery as it courses upward across the face from its root in the neck at the external carotid artery. There is normally a groove situated toward the back of the inferior border of the lower jaw. This is not unusual, even if there is a lack of symmetry (i.e., the lump is present only on one side).
The most likely thing is one that you have already intuitively guessed- that the lump is part of the jaw bone itself. Your description suggests several possible diagnoses. In some cases, that distinction cannot be made, and more formal diagnostic efforts would be necessary to more reliably identify the lump to which you refer. If you have an infection in an abscessed tooth, dental surgery may be required to relieve your symptoms.Ī cyst that is giving you pain or making you uncomfortable can usually be removed laparoscopically.It would be helpful to know whether the lump to which you refer only recently emerged, or whether it has been there for a long time and you only just discovered it. In other situations, your doctor may opt to remove a lump on your jawbone because they are concerned that it could become cancerous or interfere with jaw mobility. This will be entirely up to you and what you are comfortable with. If you have a lipoma or a cyst, you may want to have the lump removed for cosmetic reasons. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove a lump on your jawbone. Is surgery necessary for a movable lump on my jaw? In some cases, a lump on your jaw can be left alone without any risk to your health.
If the growth bothers you because of the way that it looks, or if it interferes with your daily activities, you may make a plan with your doctor to get it removed. In cases where the lump on your jaw is a benign growth, the course of action may be primarily up to you. If the lump on your jaw is being caused by any kind of infection, your doctor may recommend treatment with antibiotics.Īllergic reactions that are related to a lump on your jaw may be a sign that you should try an over-the-counter antihistamine or a prescription allergy medication, such as cetirizine or fexofenadine.
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