A Raised Lump on the Lip? Diagnosis and Removal Treatment for Mucocele at a Gwanak-gu Dental Clinic

Treatment period: 2025.10.07 ~ 2026.01.11

Hello,

I’m Dr. Park Jeong-gi, director of Seoul Remember Dental Clinic in Gwanak-gu.

Sometimes, a raised bump appears on the lower lip,

or it feels like you have bitten a lump there,

and this is, surprisingly, something that can occur in many people:

Mucocele.

It is a cystic lesion formed when minor salivary glands in the oral cavity are damaged,

causing mucus to accumulate in the surrounding soft tissue.

It is known as one of the most common

benign lesions that occur on the oral mucosa,

and it is especially common on the lower lip.

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1. Cause of occurrence

At a Gwanak-gu dental clinic,

to briefly summarize,

the most common cause is

the habit of biting the lower lip.

It may be caused by trauma such as

accidental biting while eating,

repeated irritation from the teeth,

or injury during oral procedures.

Trauma occurs ->

the duct of a minor salivary gland ruptures ->

the mucus inside leaks into the surrounding connective tissue ->

an inflammatory response and granulation tissue form ->

a cyst surrounded by a fibrous capsule forms

This is the mechanism of development.

2. Common sites

Lower lip (60–70%): Most common

Buccal mucosa (inner cheek): 15–20%

Under the tongue, floor of the mouth: 10–15%

Upper lip, palate: rare

3. Common age group

It occurs frequently mainly in people in their teens to 30s,

and is especially common in children and adolescents.

4. Clinical symptoms

Looking at the photo shown at the Gwanak-gu dental clinic,

there is a small, round raised lesion on the lower lip,

diameter about 2–10 mm.

When touched or palpated directly,

it is not painful

and feels soft and smooth.

This is a typical mucocele,

and most cases are asymptomatic.

However, depending on its size or how much it protrudes,

it may cause a foreign-body sensation or discomfort,

or interfere with speaking or eating,

so it can be removed if desired.

A diagnosis can be made based on clinical findings alone,

but in atypical cases, histopathological examination after excision may be necessary.

5. Cyst removal procedure

At the Gwanak-gu dental clinic,

if the patient wants it removed because of repeated recurrence,

treatment is performed through surgical excision.

Local anesthesia is administered around the lesion,

then we wait for more than 5–10 minutes

to confirm that the anesthesia is sufficient.

After that, an incision is made with a medical blade,

and the mucosa including the lesion is carefully excised.

Afterward, the area is sutured with silk sutures

so that the wound does not open up

and hemostasis can be achieved properly.

The inside of the mouth heals quickly,

so it closes faster than expected.

At the Gwanak-gu dental clinic,

to check whether healing has gone well,

we perform follow-up observation.

In this case, when we checked again about two months later,

the gums had healed completely,

there was no longer any protruding area as before,

and there was no recurrence, showing a good prognosis.

Since mucocele is a benign lesion that commonly occurs in the oral cavity,

it can be treated through an accurate diagnosis and appropriate surgical excision.

However, correcting the patient’s habit that caused it

is the key to preventing recurrence.

If the findings are atypical

or if recurrence keeps happening,

be sure to perform a pathological examination

to differentiate it from other lesions

and confirm the diagnosis.

Thank you for reading.

This has been Dr. Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember Dental Clinic in Gwanak-gu.