Extremely painful gums on upper left side,    bleeding when touched,    painful lump on lower jaw bone.     Serious?
Patient: I have been experiencing gum pain on my upper left side of my mouth. I cannot chew on this side and it is extremely painful to touch. Yesterday, when i touched the gum and it started bleeding, my cheek is a bit swollen and i now have a lump on my lower jaw bone close to where it connects with my neck, that is also painful to the touch.  I do not have dental insurance until the 1st of June so i was hoping to hold out a few more days. Should i have this checked out immediately based of the symptoms or can i wait a little while longer? Thank you. Doctor: Hello and welcome to HCM,The presence of painful, tender and bleeding gums suggest inflammation of the gums.Gums can become inflammed in conditions like infection, improper brushing, formation of pockets (as a result of infection/ inflammation), etc.You need to consult your dentist for clinical examination and management.Management comprises of removed of pockets, use of mouth wash, and maintaining good oral hygiene by proper brushing.Presence of lump in lower part of the jaw bone can occur due to many reasons.It can be due to cyst, soft tissue growth, bony growth, etc.You need to consult your dentist for this problem also.A X-ray/ OPG may be required to look for the site and origin of the lesion.In case the swelling is due to some mass, a biopsy may be required.Further management will be guided by the result of the investigations.Thanks and take careDr Shailja P Wahal