Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
When to See a Provider
A bump on the roof of the mouth can have a number of causes, including canker sores,mucoceles, fungal infections, or bony growths. The lump may be a small blister, cyst, or hard lump you can feel with your tongue or finger. It may be painless or sore.
Most of the time, a bump on the roof of the mouth is harmless and will go away on its own, with or without treatment. A bump on the roof of the mouth that worsens or doesn’t go away after a few weeks may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as oral cancer, though this is rare.
Miguel Angel Flores / Getty Images
Below are some common causes as well as associated symptoms to help distinguish what may be leading to a bump on the roof of the mouth.
Torus Palatinus
Torus palatinusis a bony growth that appears as a hard, painless bump on the roof of the mouth. Some people are born with it, while others may develop it later in life. Torus palatinus usually does not cause symptoms, but large growths may cause complications such as discomfort and difficulty eating, swallowing, or chewing.
Canker Sore
Canker sores are small sores that appear on the inside of the mouth inside. They can appear as sore bump on the roof of the mouth and are generally round, whitish, or yellowish with a red ring around them. They can show up as one or in small clusters. A canker sore may be painful, with the first three to four days being the worst; it usually goes away on its own.
Cold Sore
Burns and Other Injuries
You may feel a bump on the roof of your mouth if you drank or ate something that was too hot. A severe burn can develop into a blister.
Burns and other injuries usually heal on their own without treatment, but you should take care to avoid reinjuring the area while you heal.
Epstein Pearls
Epstein pearls are whitish-yellow cysts on the gums or the roof of the mouth and are common among newborn babies. They can look like teeth coming in. Epstein pearls usually go away within a few weeks after birth.
Squamous Papilloma
Squamous papillomaare harmless, painless growths associated with thehuman papilloma virus(HPV).They are commonly found on the tongue or roof of the mouth. Squamous papilloma are noncancerous and do not require treatment, though they can be removed surgically.
Candidiasis
Candidiasis often appears as white patches on the roof of the mouth, inner cheeks, tongue, and throat.These patches may be sore and cause pain while eating or swallowing.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
Hand, foot, and mouth diseasemost often affect young children but older children and adults can also get it. One of the symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease is mouth sores that may blister and become painful.
Mucoceles
A pea-sized lump on the roof of your mouth could be a mucocele. Mucoceles are round, fluid-filled lesions usually 1 to 2 cm in diameter, dome-shaped, with a clear or bluish color.Most people only get one at a time.
Small bumps on the roof of the mouth that seem to come and go could be recurrent canker sores or mucoceles. However, you should see your healthcare provider, as sores that don’t heal or heal and come back can also be a sign of a more serious health condition.
Hyperdontia
Hyperdontia is an uncommon cause of a lump at the top of the mouth. It happens when an extra tooth develops just behind another tooth.Sometimes they may grow on the roof of the mouth.
Oral Cancer
Cancer on the roof of the mouth is called hard palate cancer. Hard palate cancer includes squamous cell carcinoma and salivary gland cancer.Oral canceris rare, but factors like smoking or alcohol use may increase risk.
Diagnosing a bump on the roof of the mouth may involve a physical exam of the mouth. While a healthcare provider should only make a diagnosis, most of the time, a bump on the roof of the mouth will go away on its own and does not require medical attention. A proper diagnosis is essential for getting the right treatment if desired.
More serious causes, like an infection, may require more follow-up care. Be sure to talk with a healthcare provider if the bump doesn’t go away or gets worse so that you can get a diagnosis and treatment started right away.
When Should You Worry About a Lump in Your Mouth?
Most of the time, a bump on the roof of the mouth is nothing to worry about and will usually go away without treatment. However, a bump on the roof of the mouth that doesn’t go away on its own may require medical attention.
Talk to a healthcare provider if you have a bump on the roof of the mouth that doesn’t go away after a few weeks or changes in size or appearance. In addition, if the bump causes any of the following, speak with a healthcare provider:
Summary
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Anbumani TL, Raja M, Sridharan R, Selvi AT.Morphological study on torus palatinus in adult human skulls.Int J Anat Res. 2019;7(2.2):6597-600. doi:10.16965/ijar.2019.178
Nemours KidsHealth.Canker sores.
National Library of Medicine.Mouth sores.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidiasis basics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HFMD symptoms and complications.
Das P, Niyogi S, Bhuyan SK, Bhuyan R.Basal cell adenoma of the buccal mucosa masquerading as irritation fibroma: A rare case report.Oncol J India. 2018;2(3):55-7. doi:10.38207/JMCRCS/2021/0214217
Eshgian N, Al-Talib T, Nelson S, Abubakr NH.Prevalence of hyperdontia, hypodontia, and concomitant hypo-hyperdontia.J Dent Sci. 2021;16(2):713-717. doi:10.1016/j.jds.2020.09.005
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Hard palate cancer.
American Cancer Society.Risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
