# What are the lumps under my skin in mouth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 11, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499 "2003-05-11T14:49:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499/1 "2003-05-11T14:49:02Z")

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Below and above my lips, in my mouth, there are many small lumps under the skin. I’ve had these my whole life, and assume most if not all people do as well (I guess I’ll find out now if that’s true).

Does everybody have these lumps? What are they?

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**Author:** ![intarweb\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@intarweb\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/intarweb_man)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499/2 "2003-05-11T14:51:05Z")

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fat deposits I would imagine.

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**Author:** ![sivispacem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@sivispacem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sivispacem)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499/3 "2003-05-11T15:17:12Z")

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I’ve had a few come and go - assumed they were lymph nodes, yours just might be more promenient than other people’s.

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**Author:** ![jbird3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499/4 "2003-05-11T15:22:21Z")

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I have one on each side on the inside of my cheek.

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**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499/5 "2003-05-12T00:14:52Z")

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I have them too. I’ve always assumed everyone does. They aren’t prominent, they don’t stick out or anything, but I can feel them inside the skin.

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**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-lumps-under-my-skin-in-mouth/174499/6 "2003-05-12T01:13:15Z")

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According to my wife (the hygienists), from your description most are just fatty parts…but the little yellow looking ones can be fordyce granules (little sebacious glands).

adjacent to the first molar on the cheek is parotid salivary gland…

You guys could be describing a whole bunch of different things…but these are the most common.