Thank you for your question. Oral fibromas are benign growths (consisting of scar tissue) in the mouth that usually appear following repeated trauma (usually from rubbing of your teeth or dentures/braces against the inner lining of your mouth or from accidental lip biting). The inner cheek area (buccal mucosa) would be most common. However, there are many lesions in the mouth that can mimic oral fibromas including mucocele (“bag of saliva” from trauma to the minor salivary gland), schwannoma (benign tumour of the nerve) and salivary gland tumours (which can be cancerous or non cancerous). Hence it is best to have the growth examined by your GP (who has surgical training in removing small lumps and bumps), ENT Specialists, or Dentists (with surgical training – usually an Oral Surgeon or Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons).
If the lesion is small and is located in an area that is easily accessible by the surgeon (e.g. in the lips, cheek area that is close to the corner of your mouth, roof of the mouth etc) it can be done under local anaesthesia (area numbed with sprays and injections with patient awake during the surgery). However, if the lump is big or is in an area that is deep in your mouth (e.g. near your throat or back of the tongue), it is likely that your surgery will be performed under general anaesthesia (patient asleep during the surgery).
Hope this helps.
