Just inside the corners of my mouth, I have a flap of skin (one on each side). They are annoying because I have a tendency to bite them when I’m eating, causing intense pain! And of course, they then swell up, which means they become even more easier to be bitten.
My questions are:
Aren’t they salivary glands? Either way, I bit one off :eek:
It probably is the salivary gland duct opening into the mouth. Occasionally this gets enlarged and inflamed, and then you bite it and it gets more inflamed, etc. etc. Try sucking on lemon drops. They’re astringent, and will help shrink them some, and increase salivary production, which will also serve to reduce the swelling somewhat. If the problem persists or worsens, see your doc.
QtM, MD
I’ve had those and I found Limeade works well on them:)
Actually I make my own limeade from this amazing uber concentrated stuff I got at the farmers market, I like it sour.
Speaking of, try the new Altoids Citrus sours- they rock.
Oh so that’s what those things are!
I just thought I had bit down on the inside of my cheek too hard. I have newfound respect for these things in my mouth now!
I agree, I thought my braces as a kid cut the inner wall of my cheek on the right side. So, they are natural?
Aren’t salivary glands farther inside the mouth? If the OP is talking about what I think he is, I have the same flaps–these start no more than a millimeter or two from the corners of my mouth, and I think their only purpose is to cause pain when bit.
THAT’S what I’m talking about, Hauky.
(BTW, I’m a she 
)
:eek: :eek: :eek: These have frequently swollen and bothered the living hell out of me since I was 6 or 7 years old. I always thought my mouth was shaped funny or I was a freak or something. Even though I can’t remember when the last time they bothered me was, I’m going to buy some lemon drops tomorrow so I’ll have a cure on hand when they strike next. Thank you!
Parotid gland empties about the level of the second molar, submandibular gland under the tongue. If really at the corners of the mouth I doubt these are the salivary duct papilla. I would say, no, most people do not have them
Dave
I agree- assumimg we are all talking about the same thing. I used to only have one in the corner of the left side- when i was a little kid, i started chewing on the other corner that did not have one,and litterally made another one over time- maybe its something we do to ourselves as kids.
I have them too, but my right one is a tad larger than my left. I know most people don’t have them. But I don’t know what they’re they’re for. Maybe we’re some weird mutants or something.
Why are you folks biting on your gill slits? That’s just silly.
No…flaps of skin inside your mouth? :eek:
I have them, a few millimeters back from the corners, right near my incisors almost.
And yes, they do seem to be there just to get bitten on occasionally and cause pain.
I had them as long as I can remember but my ma says it is just an injury and it will heal soon. Though, many people say it is some kind of salivary gland, I don’t think so cause it doesn’t do what it is supposed to 
I really need to know what it is so I can eat without fear :mad:
Welcome to the Dope Beeb.
This message thread is what we call a Zombie. It’s so old that most, if not all, of the previous posters will probably not respond.
I along with all of the previous posters and a host of zombies have had these flaps. A nice oral surgeon took them out as a bonus after he removed my wisdom teeth.
I’d always bite the insides of my cheeks with my wisdom teeth. It’s the #1 reason I had them pulled and it hasn’t been a problem since.
If is further back near the molars, or it suddenly appeared, then it might be more of a bruise… a temporary swelling and it would be better to just let it heal.
But permanent flappy things… the flaps were created by the teeth stretching the membrane.As with skin flaps (where the skin is ballooned or stretched due to injury ) , feel free to remove them. They don’t contain anything important, they don’t contain any gland.
You can buy mouth ulcer pain killer… Put that on then chew on the flap until its gone.
The membrane will heal over night, and if its a bit sore, put some more pain killer on.
Whenever I bite mine, I put ice on it for a few minutes. Not only does that stop the bleeding, it also shrinks the affected area and makes it a little harder to bite next time.
Not guaranteed, but it does help.