A lump on roof of mouth can be hurting and sore and painful but can also be painless. Whether it is hard or soft, large or small, it might cause discomfort in mouth and make it difficult to eat. Explore facts, pictures, causes, signs and symptoms of lump on roof of mouth. Moreover, learn how to get rid of them with medical treatments and home remedies.
Signs and Symptoms of Lump on Roof of Mouth
It is quite normal for you to worry when you develop a strange lump on the roof of your mouth or palate. The lump on roof your mouth can be more terrifying especially when they are large in size than normal and too painful.
Generally, the development of a lump on the roof of your mouth could be an indication of either harmless or a more serious health condition that needs medical treatment. Usually, benign bump on your mouth roof are painless and they cannot advance into health complications.
Occasionally, your mouth roof might develop malignant growth like a lump or bump that causes difficulty in eating. For this case, you need to seek the help of your dentist to assist in diagnosis and treatment of your oral condition.
A lump on roof of mouth can show up in various signs and symptoms depending on the causes. The lump can appear on the ridged surface of the palate near front teeth or on soft parts of the palate that are located at the back of the mouth.
The common signs and symptoms associated with a lump on the roof of mouth include:
- Redness, tender or inflamed roof of the mouth
- Small or large bump of the palate that is either painful or painless
- Single or numerous lump on the roof of the mouth
- Itchy, painful or burning sensation on the palate
- Red, pink, brown or white raised spots on the palate
- A sore throat and swollen tonsils
- Fluid-filled blister, sores, ulcers or open wound on the roof of the mouth
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Bleeding gums
- Difficult in eating or drinking
The lump on the roof of your mouth can also accompany other strange symptoms such as fever, headaches, vomiting and other. In case you notice the above symptoms, it is advisable to consult your medical doctor to help in diagnosis and treatment.
Causes of Lump on Roof of Mouth
The roof of your mouth can develop a lump due to various causes. These causes can lead to an oral condition that ranges from harmless to more serious health problem. Harmless causes are usually associated with benign bumps on the palate.
Unlike harmless causes, your palate can also develop chronic lumps that can advance into a health complicated problem that requires special treatment. It is quite important for you to have a basic knowledge about these causes. This can help you to decide whether to go for treatment or not.
The common possible causes of lumps on roof of the mouth include:
1. Injuries
Your palate can develop a lump or bump as a consequence of oral injuries to the delicate mucous membrane. Burns, cuts, bruises and irritation are some of the injuries that can lead to small painful oral blister on roof the mouth or any other parts of the oral cavity.
2. Torus palatinus
This is a bony lump that can develop in the middle of your hard palate. This lump can vary in size from small to large bump. The condition of having torus bump in the mouth is usually harmless and it is not a symptom of any internal disease in your body.
In most cases, certain individuals are born with this lump on roof of mouth. However, it grows slowly into a large lump and become more prominent later in your life. The bump does not require any treatment but it can be removed surgically if it causes difficulties in eating or become irritated.
3. Incisive papilla
Incisive papilla or Nasopalatine duct cyst is an oral condition of having a lump on the roof of your mouth just behind the front teeth. This condition can result in the development of a large bump on the roof of your mouth that can use difficulties in eating.
Also, the bump may be irritated by friction during the process of chewing food and develop into oral sore. For this case, you need to seek the help of your dentist who can help in the treatment of your oral condition.
4. Mucocele
The roof of your mouth can develop a small painful soft lump as a consequence of mucocele or mucous cyst. The lumps are usually characterized by fluid-filled sacs on roof of the mouth that has clear fluids with a pale blue color.
Your mouth cavity can develop mucous cyst when the opening of salivary ducts are clogged due to infection or injuries. The condition often occurs in infants, babies or toddlers. However, anybody can develop a mucocele lump on roof of mouth.
The mucocele in the mouth cavity is a harmless condition that cannot advance into a health complication. The lump can clear away after the inflamed glands are relieved.
5. Epstein pearls
Epstein pearls are also known as gingival bumps or palatal cyst. They are small white or yellow bumps that typically appear on the roof of the mouth and on gums. These lumps are common in newborns and they can last in the mouth of the baby for few weeks before they clear way.
This condition can occur when there is an accumulation of protein material in small lump that appear on roof of the mouth or on gums. Palatal cysts are usually harmless condition that can go away without treatment. However, you can consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment if the lump has persisted for more than three weeks.
6. Buccal Exostosis
Buccal exostosis is also called osteoma. The condition is usually associated with the growth of large hard painless lump on roof of mouth at the back. The roof of your mouth can develop buccal exostosis when an extra born grows above the existing one. The lump can be irritated by the process of chewing food and develop painful sores.
According to Mayo Clinic, they attribute that you can develop buccal exostosis due to genetically related disorders. The condition can show up during your adolescent stage and the lump continues to develop slows that become more prominent during your adulthood stage.
The lump of buccal exostosis on your palate at the back of the mouth can be treated by surgical procedures.
7. Maxillary sinus growth
Similar to buccal exostosis, Maxillary sinus growth is a hard painless lump that protrudes on the roof of the mouth. The lump develops on the maxilla bone on your upper jaw. Occasionally, maxillary sinus growth can occur as a consequence of oral cancer.
8. Adenocarcinoma
A lump on roof of mouth can appear due to the condition of Adenocarcinoma on your palate. You can develop this condition when the minor salivary glands on roof of your mouth become inflamed or swollen when infected by bacteria or viruses such as HPV.
9. Canker sore
Canker sore are small painful red, brown, pink or yellow bumps that can develop anywhere in your oral cavity including the roof of the mouth. The outbreak of canker sore can occur on roof of your mouth due to oral trauma, stress, fatigue, change of hormone and weakened immune system.
10. Cold sore
Cold sore or fever blisters are painful small fluid-filled basters that typically occur on lips and inside the nose. They can also appear on roof of mouth as small bumps. The cold sore infection is caused by herpes simplex virus.
11. Hyperdontia
Hyperdontia is an oral condition that leads to the development of extra teeth that appear on the roof of the mouth. The extract teeth may fail to come out of the palate tissue and form a hard lump on roof of the mouth.
12. Oral Squamous papilloma
Squamous papilloma is a noncancerous growth that can develop on roof of your mouth or any other parts of your mouth cavity. They are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus is contagious and it can spread through kissing and oral sex.
The oral squamous papilloma lump is usually characterized by painless white or pink bump that grows slowly and takes a shape of a cauliflower. These bumps are harmless and they don’t require medical treatment.
Occasionally, oral squamous papilloma can develop into cancerous condition. For these reason, it is advisable to go for surgical removal of these lumps.
13. Oral cancer
Oral cancer is a rare chronic condition that can lead to the development of a lump on roof of mouth or anywhere in your oral cavity. Oral cancer can attack the salivary glands on roof of your mouth that may result in a hard tumor.
Also, the cancerous condition in your oral cavity can show up other strange symptoms such as sore throat, chronic bumps that won’t heal easily, red or white spots in mouth, pain in ears, jaw pain, and difficulties in chewing and swallowing food.
14. STD infection
Your mouth roof can develop a sore like lump due to the infection of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Syphilis, HPV, and HIV are some of the STD that can lead to oral sores and bumps.
15. Smoking
Smoking and chewing of the tobacco product can lead to an oral condition that is medical known as smoker’s palate or nicotine stomatitis. This condition is usually associated with a white lump on the centers of the palate. The harmful smoke can also increase the risk of getting oral cancer.
16. Allergic reaction
A lump on the roof of the mouth can appear due to an allergic reaction in your oral cavity. Eating harmful substance such as poison ivy, too acidic food, raw tubers can lead to the development of strange lumps in your mouth cavity including the palate.
Hard Lump on Roof of Mouth
A hard lump on the roof of your mouth can be either painful or painless. Sometimes painless hard bump on your palate can also become painful after they are irritated by the friction from the process of chewing food.
The common oral conditions that may lead to the development of hard lump on the roof of the mouth include Torus palatinus, Incisive papilla, Epstein pearls, Buccal Exostosis, Maxillary sinus growth, Adenocarcinoma, Hyperdontia, noncancerous Oral Squamous papilloma and cancer
Painful Lump on Roof of Mouth
Painful lump on roof of the mouth is usually associated with oral sores, blisters, ulcers or open wounds. Canker sore, cold sore, STD, cancer, and oral injuries are common condition that may accompany painful lumps.
Sometimes, painless lump on the roof of your mouth can also become painful when they are irritated by friction that may occur during the process of chewing food. This can lead to sores or ulcers on the surface of the lump.
For the case of having severe pain of the lump at the roof of your mouth, you can seek the help of your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
How to Get Rid of Red Lump on Roof of Mouth
You can get rid of lumps on the roof your mouth using various treatment methods depending on the oral condition. You can use home remedies to treat a small and mild lump on the roof of your mouth that cannot advance into a more serious health problem.
Alternatively, you can use medical treatment when the lump on the roof of your mouth is likely to be a serious oral condition.
Home Remedies
Try the following home remedies that can help to treat mild lumps on the roof of the mouth. They include:
1. Salt rinse
The salt solution is an effective home remedy that you can use to treat an inflamed lump on the roof of your mouth cavity. Salt has the natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to relieve oral sores or bumps.
How to use:
- Mix one teaspoon of salt into 1 cup of warm water
- Gargle the solution over your mouth cavity for 10 minutes before you spit it out
- Repeat this treatment three times daily until the lump on roof mouth clear away
2. Hydrogen peroxide
The solution of hydrogen peroxide has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to treat sores and lumps on your palate.
How to use:
- Dilute one teaspoon 3% hydrogen peroxide with 2 teaspoons of warm water
- Swish the solution over your mouth cavity for 5 minutes
- Spit it out and rinse your mouth with water
- Repeat this steps three times daily until you are relieved from oral lump
3. Aloe Vera
The Aloe Vera is an excellent home remedy that you can use that can help to treat oral lump on your mouth roof. It can also help to soothe painful sores on your palate.
How to use:
- Get 1 teaspoon of Aloe Vera juice
- Swish the juice Over your oral cavity for 2 minutes
- Spit it out and rinse your mouth cavity with water
- Repeat the procedure twice daily until the red lump on the roof of your mouth go away
4. Lemon juice and honey
The mixture of lemon juice and raw honey has the healing power that can help to cure a lump on roof of mouth.
How to use:
- Mix two teaspoons of lemon juice with 1 teaspoon of raw honey
- swish the solution over your mouth cavity for about 2 minutes
- repeat this step three times daily until the lump on roof of your mouth clear away
5. Baking soda
You can use the solution of baking soda as a home remedy that can help to treat a lump on the roof of the mouth.
How to use:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of the baking soda into 1 cup of warm water
- Gargle the solution in your mouth cavity for few minutes
- Repeat this treatment three times daily until the lump on roof of the mouth go away
Medical Treatment
Medical treatment is another alternative that you can use that can help to remove chronic lump from the roof of your mouth that can develop into health complicated issues. You can visit the doctor to help you in diagnosis and treatment.
The common treatment methods that your doctor might use to treat a lump on the roof of mouth include the following:
- Prescription of oral medication that includes antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs that can help to cure the underlying condition that causes a lump of the roof of your mouth cavity.
- A surgical procedure that can help to remove a chronic or malignant growth from the roof of your mouth.
- Laser treatment methods that use a strong beam of light to kill the cancerous cells in your mouth cavity that might cause a lump on the roof of the mouth
When to See a Doctor
You can see you doctor over a lump on roof of mouth if you notice the following conditions that include:
- If the the lump on roof of your mouth has persisted for more than three weeks without going away
- If the lump develop into a chronic sore that won’t heal easily
- When you feel severe pain on roof of the mouth that causes difficulties in chewing and swallowing
- When the lump on the roof of the mouth is associated with other symptoms such as fever, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, and others
- If the bump on your palate are characterized with skin thickening that can bleed easily
Sources & References
[showhide type=”links” more_text=”Show Sources and References” less_text=”Hide Sources and References”]
- A lump on roof of the mouth: https://www.healthline.com/health/bump-on-roof-of-mouth#torus-palatinus
- Signs and symptoms of a lump on the roof of the mouth: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/mouth-sores-and-infections/sore-in-roof-of-mouth-causes-1115
- Causes of a lump on the roof of the mouth: https://healdove.com/oral-health/Possible-Causes-of-Bump-on-Roof-of-Mouth
- Causes of bumps on the roof of the mouth: https://www.enkiverywell.com/bump-on-roof-of-mouth.html
- How to get rid of lumps on roof of the mouth: https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/roof-of-mouth-sore/
- Home remedies for the lumps on the roof of the mouth: http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/askquestion/1500/natural-cures-for-palate-burnt-by-eating-hot-food-.html [/showhide]
