At every hygiene appointment we make certain to examine your entire mouth.  If we notice any unexplained changes to the soft tissues we may suggest a biopsy to determine the underlying cause.  It is the only conclusive method to determine whether a change in the soft tissue is cancerous.   In most cases, we discover that the tissue changes are non-cancerous and may have been caused by cheek biting or irritation from other causes.  Only rarely do we find that such changes of the cheeks, gums or palate may be signs of a more serious problem – in which case early detection is extremely important.  The biopsy typically involves sending a very small portion of the lesion to the Pathology Lab at Tufts University for microscopic evaluation.  We normally have the results in less than a week.  With dental lesions, early diagnosis is very important.