Mouth Cancer

1. Mouth Cancer By Amonte Harding

2. Black Hairy Tongue

3. Hairy tongue This is a relatively rare condition which is caused by the elongation of the taste buds.  This condition can be caused by poor oral hygiene, chronic oral irritation or smoking.  The far right photograph shows a patient who has been treated with  radiation therapy for head and neck cancer and has chronic oral inflammation. 

4. Comparison Gum Cancer Tongue disease Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smokers are six times more likely than nonsmokers to develop oral cancers. Smokeless tobacco users. Users of dip, snuff, or chewing tobacco products are 50 times more likely to develop cancers of the cheek, gums, and lining of the lips. Excessive consumption of alcohol. Oral cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than in nondrinkers. Family history of cancer. Excessive sun exposure, especially at a young age. It is important to note that over 25% of all oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and who only drink alcohol occasionally. A black hairy tongue is caused by too much bacteria or yeast growth in the mouth. The bacteria build up on tiny rounded projections called papillae. These lie along the surface of the tongue. Instead of shedding as they normally do, the papillae start to grow and lengthen, creating hair-like projections. They can grow to 15 times their normal length.

5. Torus palatines While not technically soft tissue masses, the toruspalatinus, torusmandibularis and bony exostosis (buccalexostosis) are all lesions which present as surface masses and are removed with minimal disturbance of deeper cancellous bones. Lobulated torus palatinus has slowly enlarged to fill much of the palatal vault, leaving numerous undercut regions in which food may become impacted and produce infection.