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Oral Health Made Simple: Your Prescription For Knowledge
 PREVENT PROBLEMS
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 CONDITIONS
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Step 1 Prevent ProblemsSimplestepsPrevent Problems
Step 2 Understand ConditionsSimplestepsUnderstand Conditions
Step 3 Explore TreatmentsSimplestepsExplore Treatments

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Fibromas

space placeholder.space placeholder
space placeholder.What Is It?.
space placeholder.Symptoms.
space placeholder.Diagnosis.
space placeholder.Expected Duration.
space placeholder.Prevention.
space placeholder.Treatment.
space placeholder.When To Call A Professional.
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space placeholder.What Is It?
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Fibromas are overgrowths of soft tissue in the mouth. They appear as raised, relatively small areas and commonly occur on the lips, inside the cheeks and on the tongue. They are usually pink, but also can be whitish or light-colored. If traumatized, fibromas may be reddish or bluish.

Fibromas are often caused by:

  • Habitually biting the lips, inside of the cheeks, or tongue
  • Tooth grinding (bruxism)
  • Rubbing from poorly fitting dentures or sharp areas on a tooth or teeth

If one area of your mouth is repeatedly injured, scar tissue can form, and the underlying normal tissue may be stimulated to grow.

Fibromas can develop over weeks, months or years.

People with Cowden's syndrome — a genetic disorder that may lead to skin lesions and increases the risks of breast and thyroid cancers — also get oral fibromas. In this case, they are not related to trauma.

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space placeholder.Symptoms
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Other than seeing or feeling the fibroma, there are no usually symptoms. Some people do notice increases in the size of fibromas over time.

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space placeholder.Diagnosis
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Through observation and careful questioning, your dentist usually can identify the tissue as a fibroma and relate it to a cause. Fibromas should be removed to confirm the diagnosis, and to make sure the swelling or growth is not due to another disease.

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space placeholder.Expected Duration
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A fibroma will not go away unless it is removed surgically.

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space placeholder.Prevention
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To avoid fibromas, be aware of any oral habits, such as biting your lips or the inside of your cheeks. If you grind your teeth, ask your dentist to fit you with a night guard.

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A fibroma will keep growing if it continues to be traumatized. Your dentist probably will fibromas that are large or that interfere with speech.

When fibromas are removed, the tissue is sent to a laboratory for a biopsy. In some cases — particularly if you drink or smoke, or if the color of the fibroma is different than usual — your dentist may biopsy the tissue to rule out oral cancer. Fibromas themselves are not cancerous and are not known to become cancerous over time.

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space placeholder.When To Call A Professional
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If you notice a swelling, lump or bump in your mouth, have it checked by your dentist.

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space placeholder.Prognosis
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The outlook for having a fibroma is good if the cause can be identified. Even after surgical removal, fibromas can recur over a long period if the oral habit or problem continues.

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space placeholder.Additional Info
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American Academy of Dermatology
930 N. Meacham Road
Shaumburg, IL 60173
Phone: (847) 330-0230
Toll-Free: (888) 462-DERM
http://www.aad.org/

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