Oral medicine: 13. Lumps and swellings: jaws.

Many diseases of, or in, the jaws present asymptomatically, as radiolucencies, radio-opacities or with mixed appearances on radiographs. Other presentations are as swellings, pain or sometimes fracture or disturbance of tooth eruption (displaced, missing or loose teeth). Swellings that appear to originate from the jaws may arise from subcutaneous tissues or bones. The mnemonic MINT aids diagnosis: Malformations, eg tori and fibro-osseous lesions. Inflammatory conditions, eg odontogenic infections, osteomyelitis, actinomycosis, tuberculosis, or syphilis. Neoplasms and cysts (see below). Trauma causing subperiosteal haematomas. Investigations largely involve imaging, and serum calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase levels but histopathology is almost invariably required.