Mucocele Removal Chiang Mai?

[Stubby]

Hi Folks.

I have what I think is referred to as a mucocele (bluish lump inside mouth). It's quite painless and has been with me for over 18 months now. Usually, it's almost flush against the inside of the cheek, but every once in a while it will protrude and become bothersome for a day or so. A lot of people, from what I've read, just tend to live with them. However, mine is protruding a bit too often of late so I was thinking of getting it cut out by an oral surgeon.

So basically, my question is this; has anyone here in Chiang Mai had this done, and if so would you have a place to recommend?

Thanks you.

Stubby

[mcgriffith]

Any competent dentist here can diagnose and treat something like this.

(Many seem to think dentists only deal with teeth).

Perhaps you should get a biopsy to make sure it is not something more serious.

18 months you have a growth in your mouth, and you have not had it seen by a specialist?

I go to Grace, but I'm sure others can recommend various places with excellent Oral Surgeons as well.

[nattydread]

Empress Dental on Canal rd has a list of superstars if believe the photograh board.i use them and found them competent and high tech with a surgery that wouldnt look out of place in the West

http://www.empressdentalclinic.com/

[TheVicar]

Any competent dentist here can diagnose and treat something like this.

(Many seem to think dentists only deal with teeth).

Perhaps you should get a biopsy to make sure it is not something more serious.

18 months you have a growth in your mouth, and you have not had it seen by a specialist?

I go to Grace, but I'm sure others can recommend various places with excellent Oral Surgeons as well.

This is good advice. Wikipedia indicates your condition as an oral cyst. Here's some other info that is pertinent from wiki:

"Treatment

Some mucoceles spontaneously resolve on their own after a short time. Others are chronic and require surgical removal. Recurrence may occur, and thus the adjacent salivary gland is excised as a preventive measure.

Several types of procedures are available for the surgical removal of mucoceles. These include laser and minimally-invasive techniques which means recovery times are reduced drastically.

Micro-marsupialization is an alternative procedure to surgical removal. Micro-marsupialization uses silk sutures in the dome of a cyst to allow new epithelialized drainage pathways. It is simpler, less traumatic, and well-tolerated by patients, especially children^[4] .

A non-surgical option that may be effective for a small or newly identified mucocele is to rinse the mouth thoroughly with salt water (one tablespoon of salt per cup) four to six times a day for a few days. This may draw out the fluid trapped underneath the skin without further damaging the surrounding tissue. If the mucocele persists, individuals should see a dentist to discuss further treatment."

I've had good results at Lanna Hospital which also has a Dental Clinic and a very good young dermatologist (although an oral surgeon or dentist seems a more likely choice for you). I highly recommend them. Prices there are reasonable (they're private and there is no line or large pool of waiting patients). I do think a hospital dental clinic would be better for you than an individual dental clinic because a biopsy (to see if there was any abnormal tissue in this growth) might be a good idea. Good luck and let us know your progress.

Edited November 28, 2012 by TheVicar

[Stubby]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I read that dentists can identify these things, but only an oral surgeon is qualified to remove them. I will look into dental surgery though after reading some of your replies.

Regarding not getting it seen to earlier, well all I can say on that is if I went running to the doctor with every little lump, bump or irregularity on the skin over the years, I'd be a full-time patient for one thing or another. All I know about cancerous tumours is that they only grow over time, never shrink, are they certainly don't remain the same size and shape if they're malignant.

So if something appears and suddenly starts to grow, change shape, or multiply, then I'd surely get it checked out. Other than than I've never been one to run to the doctors, but everyone's different on they way they handle these things.

Thanks once again for all the replies here, I appreciate it

Stubby

Edited November 28, 2012 by Stubby

[cheeryble]

I had an annoying and persistent little white spot on the tip of my tongue removed at Loi Kroh Clinic.

I was not looking forward to it and was amazed at the speed and ease with which he did it.

He sent it for analysis which as he suspected was not malignant.

I get a slight tingling but am not surprised given so many nerves there....no problem.

Very reasonable bill indeed, I think it was 1200 baht including antibiotics.

I would guess a cyst on the gums would be easier as the tongue can hardly stop moving and is perhaps the most sensitive place on the body.

Edited November 28, 2012 by cheeryble