Post Dentist Roof of Mouth Irritation

[Mechanic7500]

Hey guys been a pipe smoker for many years but just found this forum.

Just under a month ago, I had my twice-a-year cleaning. At the end of my cleaning, the hygienist used a camera and took some pictures inside my mouth and said it was just for a baseline. I didn't question it at the time because I was already annoyed with how long the cleaning was taking and I was late for my son's basketball game - so I don't know what the baseline was for. Ever since leaving that cleaning the roof of my mouth has felt irritated is the best way I can describe it. At times it isn't noticeable and then other times it's noticeable.

At first, I severely reduced my pipe for the first week, but after that, I completely stopped to hopefully see if I can resolve this issue. I know the mouth is one of the fastest areas to heal, but it hasn't really as I would have expected a mouth issue to resolve itself. So now I've had a couple of days of anxiety thinking I have cancer now, but it doesn't add up that this issue/feeling started after my cleaning.

Any thoughts on what this could be?

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Talk with your dentist and/or a medical health professional. Diagnosis requires an in person examination. Good luck.

 

[Streeper541]

I don't know what it could be, but I'm about to head out to the dentist this morning to get a couple fillings fixed.

I'm currently questioning whether or not my lack of pipe & coffee this morning is worth the pain of not going.

Good luck either way.

 

[reloader]

I would call and ask the dentist what the opinion was when looking at the baseline photos. If they saw anything that might concern them they should have notified you.

 

[ChonkyTonks]

I went in for a cleaning about a week ago and told my dentist that I started smoking a pipe in late June. She said she would check my palate for stippling. I did not have any, but I guess she was indicating smoker's palate? She did not really elaborate. Otherwise, everything was fine. That stated, though, the best path through this anxiety is to get them to tell you what is going on and whether they have a specific diagnosis.

 

[captpat]

As was stated earlier you need to talk to your dentist.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeh, sounds like you have a really bad case of baseline. I'm so sorry. You have about two weeks to live.

 

[Peterson314]

If my mouth hurts, I don't find pipe smoking enjoyable. I usually have some rawness after coming back from the dentist, but it usually resolves pretty quickly.

I think it would be weird for the dentist to take photos, find an issue, and then not tell you. But as everyone else has said, they're the only ones with the answer.

 

[canucklehead]

So you are saying that your mouth was only irritated after the longer than normal cleaning and photographic procedure? I'd blame the dentist.

 

[Grangerous]

Smokers pallet is irritation of the minor salivary glands due to heat and will present as a white circle surrounding a red center. This is an irritated salivary glad. There could be one or many. You’ll feel it as a bump with your tongue on the roof of the mouth. These will return to normal if you stop and allow it the time to heal. If you continue, you’ll only aggravate it further.

These can also occur from food trauma. Crunching into a tortilla chip at a bad angle could irritate a gland. My guess, is that in biting down on the X-ray slide you may have irritated the roof of you mouth.

However, as others have said, these are questions to be answered by you medical professional.

 

[Sgetz]

Smokers pallet is irritation of the minor salivary glands due to heat and will present as a white circle surrounding a red center. This is an irritated salivary glad. There could be one or many. You’ll feel it as a bump with your tongue on the roof of the mouth. These will return to normal if you stop and allow it the time to heal. If you continue, you’ll only aggravate it further.

These can also occur from food trauma. Crunching into a tortilla chip at a bad angle could irritate a gland. My guess, is that in biting down on the X-ray slide you may have irritated the roof of you mouth.

However, as others have said, these are questions to be answered by you medical professional?

This is true. But only partially. Heavy smoking can produce hyper keratinization (rather like callous formation on hands in say manual workers). There are suggestions that this is a precancerous state. Often called smokers leukoplakia.

 

[ashdigger]

Years ago I told my dentist I was a pipe smoking (one to two bowls a day) after examining my mouth she basically told me my head would explode.

At the next visit I told her I gave up pipe smoking (In reality I had up my pipe game and was smoking about ten bowls a day) After the exam she complimented me on the improvement in how my mouth looked.

Two things. 1. She’s obviously biased against smokers. 2. I unemployed her.

 

[olkofri]

I think this is an iatrogenic issue. You need to go back and talk to them ASAP.

 

[kcghost]

It would require an examination of your mouth which is a little difficult at this distance. go to a regular doctor and have him check you out. Don't tell him about the dentist visit unless he asks.

 

[bullet08]

I don't care for dentists. But in this case, I would call them to ask. Was gonna do implants for my morals, but after bone graft, really got sick of them. Not sure what it is, just don't like them.

 

[jguss]

Was gonna do implants for my morals

I knew someone who got a morals implant but it didn't take.

 

[Mechanic7500]

Well, I made an appt for Monday - we'll see what the dentist says. I'm praying it's nothing major.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Years ago, I had a dental tech scratch the front of my tooth while cleaning, fairly deeply. The dentist said something about it after checking the tech's work. Then at the next visit, the dental tech asked me how I had scratched my tooth. I replied, "you did on the last visit. You forgot?" She got all defensive, but I didn't understand the big deal. She cleaned my teeth and then the dentist came in to check... and he also asked me how I had scratched my tooth. I took a deep breath, because I realized that they had both gotten amnesia in the last 6 months. I explained that the tech had scratched my tooth at the last visit, and the dentist himself had noted it when he checked her work.

He got very defensive, "We did not scratch your tooth. We've never had anything like that happen in my office." I just got up, and asked him to send all of my xrays and files to the other dentist in town.

6 months later I was at the new dentist's office, and asked him why the other dentist had gotten all weird on me. "Was the scratch bad enough to have to get filled?" The dentist checked it and said no it was fine. It may get discolored a bit with coffee and pipe smoke, but nothing major. I didn't care about a small discolored line on my tooth. Hell, I drink tons of coffee and keep a pipe perpetually in my clench.

My new dentist turned out to be a pipe smoker. More of a pipe dabbler. His father had left him a rack of Dunhills, and every now and then he smoked one. So, we bonded over that, and he always checks me for any sign of pipe related problems when I go. I'm glad that I switched dentists. Even though the scratch wasn't a big deal, there's no reason to deny and become as defensive as that other guy had done. It made me realize that if he of made a mistake that was a problem, that he definitely wouldn't have fixed it.

 

[olkofri]

Years ago, I had a dental tech scratch the front of my tooth while cleaning, fairly deeply. The dentist said something about it after checking the tech's work. Then at the next visit, the dental tech asked me how I had scratched my tooth. I replied, "you did on the last visit. You forgot?" She got all defensive, but I didn't understand the big deal. She cleaned my teeth and then the dentist came in to check... and he also asked me how I had scratched my tooth. I took a deep breath, because I realized that they had both gotten amnesia in the last 6 months. I explained that the tech had scratched my tooth at the last visit, and the dentist himself had noted it when he checked her work.

He got very defensive, "We did not scratch your tooth. We've never had anything like that happen in my office." I just got up, and asked him to send all of my xrays and files to the other dentist in town.

6 months later I was at the new dentist's office, and asked him why the other dentist had gotten all weird on me. "Was the scratch bad enough to have to get filled?" The dentist checked it and said no it was fine. It may get discolored a bit with coffee and pipe smoke, but nothing major. I didn't care about a small discolored line on my tooth. Hell, I drink tons of coffee and keep a pipe perpetually in my clench.

My new dentist turned out to be a pipe smoker. More of a pipe dabbler. His father had left him a rack of Dunhills, and every now and then he smoked one. So, we bonded over that, and he always checks me for any sign of pipe related problems when I go. I'm glad that I switched dentists. Even though the scratch wasn't a big deal, there's no reason to deny and become as defensive as that other guy had done. It made me realize that if he of made a mistake that was a problem, that he definitely wouldn't have fixed it.

Not defending them or justifying it, but I guess the fear of lawsuits has made many professionals overly adept at denying and completely inept at owning up.

If I got an iatrogenic issue I'd go back to the practitioner to get it looked at and given some means of resolving it, not to go looking for a fight. Fix the problem, not the blame is (one of) my motto(es).

 

[Terry Lennox]

I get a dental cleaning 3 times a year and I always have my dentist check my palette and underneath the tongue for any irregularity. When I get tongue bite or feel any irritation on the roof of my mouth I will refrain from using my pipes until what's in question completely heals. Sometimes that means a week or longer without. I have replaced blends that bit me for ones that don't. Your body sends you signals. Use common sense and stay healthy.