Jaw tumors and cysts

Jaw tumors and cysts are growths that form in the jawbone or soft tissue in the mouth. A jaw tumor is a solid mass, while a jaw cyst is a sac filled with fluid or semisolid material. Most jaw tumors and cysts aren’t cancerous, but some can grow quickly and cause problems with your jawbone, teeth, and nearby tissue. Removing the growths with surgery can help you avoid complications.

Penn Medicine’s oral and maxillofacial surgery experts offer specialized care and advanced surgical treatments for a wide variety of oral conditions, including jaw tumors and cysts. Our surgeons have expertise in diagnosing jaw tumors and cysts so you can get treatment early, which lowers the chances that they’ll affect your teeth or cause other symptoms.

There are many types of tumors and cysts that can form in the jaw. Growths that start in tissue related to tooth development are known as odontogenic cysts or tumors, and those that form in other tissue are known as nonodontogenic cysts and tumors.  

Some of the more common types of jaw tumors and cysts include: 

• Periapical cysts: This type of jaw cyst develops after a tooth injury that causes inflammation. 
• Dentigerous cyst: This jaw cyst forms slowly in the tissue around teeth that haven’t erupted through the gums, like wisdom teeth. 
• Odontoma: This type of jaw tumor contains dental tissue that sometimes resembles a tooth. It doesn’t usually cause symptoms, but it can affect how nearby teeth develop and erupt. 
• Central giant cell granuloma: This tumor grows from bone cells and develops in the front of your lower jaw, causing swelling. If it grows fast, it might become painful and push your teeth out of place. 
• Ameloblastoma: This tumor starts in the protective lining of the tooth (tooth enamel) near the molars and grows slowly. Rarely, this type of tumor can become cancerous. 
• Odontogenic keratocyst: This slow-growing cyst forms in the lower jaw near your molars in the back of your mouth. A small cyst usually isn’t painful, but you might begin to feel pain if it becomes large. People who have a rare inherited condition called Gorlin syndrome can have several odontogenic keratocysts. 
• Odontogenic myxoma: This rare tumor grows slowly in the lower jaw. 

You might not have any signs of a slow-growing tumor or cyst. If it grows quickly and becomes large, you might experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Swelling, pain, and tenderness in the jaw or face
• Numbness in the jaw
• A hard or soft lump on the jawline or another area of the mouth or jaw
• A change in your bite
• Loose teeth

The growths can occur when cells grow abnormally, and it’s often not known why that happens. Sometimes people who have DNA changes that they inherited from a parent may have jaw tumors or cysts, including people with Gorlin syndrome, which is also known as basal cell nevus syndrome.

Going to regular dental visits and seeing a health care provider if you notice a lump or mass in your jawline can help you get treatment as soon as possible.  If it’s small and not causing symptoms, your doctor might simply watch a noncancerous tumor or cyst.  

Surgery is a cure for most types of jaw tumors and cysts and is often recommended to remove the growth along with any damaged tissue or teeth. After surgery, you may need to be monitored by your doctor to watch for new growths. Depending on how much is removed during surgery, you might need other treatments to rebuild your jaw and help with recovery, like dental implant surgery and swallowing therapy. If you’re diagnosed with oral cancer of the jaw, you’ll also get cancer treatment like radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Ask your doctor what type of tumor or cyst you have and what to expect from treatment.