All what you need to know about Oral Biopsy, Tongue Biopsy and Lip Biopsy explained by your Los Angeles Oral Medicine Dentist Specialist! Why you need lip, tongue or oral biopsy? How to avoid complications of lip, tongue, and oral biopsy such as scars. 

What is Lip or Tongue Biopsy?

A lip biopsy is a small surgery where a small piece of lip tissue is removed. The tissue sample will sent the tissue to a special laboratory called oral pathology lab. After that, the tissue sample will be prepared in a special why and cut into very thin slices. These slices will then be placed on glass slides to be examined under the microscope by a specialist.

Why May You Need a Lip or Tongue Biopsy?

Diagnosing oral diseases may be challenging, we recommend lip or oral biopsies to find out the type of disease or lesion you might have. However, many oral lesions look alike and a biopsy is the only way to find the exact nature of the disease. Therefore, with the help of the biopsy, we made the correct diagnosis and plan the best treatment accordingly.

An oral biopsy is indicated for the following conditions:

1. Lesion on your lip like an ulcer which is not healing for more than 2 weeks.
2. Red or white lesions existing for long time.
3. A lump and / or abnormal swelling that exists for longer than 2 weeks.
4. Lip discoloration that was not existing before.
5. Autoimmune conditions that affect the lips, the gums and mouth tissue.
6. Fine needle biopsy (FNB) for deep tissues lesions like lymph nodes.
7. Small salivary glands biopsy for diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome.

What are the Types of Lip, Tongue or Oral Biopsy?

1. Incisional biopsy: where part of the lesion is removed.
2. Excisional biopsy: where the whole lesion is removed.
3. Brush biopsy: only superficial cells are removed.
4. Fine needle biopsy (FNB) for deep tissues like lymph nodes.
5. Bone biopsy: done when a disease is involving the jawbone.

How Much a Lip Biopsy Cost?

There are 2 fees for doing a lip or gum biopsy. Firstly, a fee for the surgical procedure and secondly, a fee for the pathology lab. However, the cost varies depending on the geographical area, and on the experience of the surgeon. Our office staff will explain to you the cost before we start the procedure.

Does My Insurance Pay for, Lip, Tongue or Oral Biopsy?

That’s depends on your insurance plan. For more information, contact your insurance and ask them because not all insurances do pay for the procedure.

What Kind of Doctor does Lip, Tongue, Gum and Oral Biopsy?

We recommend you go to dentist specialized in oral medicine or an oral surgeon. Dr. Khalifeh is a specialist trained in performing oral and lip biopsy procedures. Therefore, going to the right specialist will help you avoid complications such as a scar after oral, lip tongue biopsy.

How painful is the procedure?

Oral biopsy is usually performed under local anesthesia so that, you will not feel any pain during the procedure. However, you might feel soreness for few days after the surgery. The soreness responds well to over-the-counter medications such as Advil or Tylenol.

What is the Recovery Time for an Oral Biopsy?

In general, the recovery time is short and usually it take 2-3 weeks. After that, you should feel as normal as you can be.

Do I Need Stitches After Oral Biopsy?

Each case is different, but, the short answer is yes in most cases.

What are the Risks and Complications of Lip and Oral Biopsy?

The risks are generally low and are easily avoided or controlled. The risks include bleeding, some discomfort and in rare cases infection. However, oral and lip biopsy complications are very rare.

Am I Going to Get a Scar After a Lip Biopsy?

A lip or oral biopsy rarely leave a scar after healing. We do everything we can to avoid post-surgical  complications after doing biopsy for the lip, tongue or any oral tissue such as scar formation.

What Should I Avoid After Getting the Procedure?

We will provide you with detailed written and verbal post-operative instructions that helps you avoid discomfort and complications. Therefore, you should follow the post surgery instructions carefully to get the best healing.

How Long it Takes to Get the Biopsy Results?

The results take 2-3 weeks to come back from the pathology lab. You should expect a phone call from our office to discuss the pathology report findings in detail with you.

Dr. Khalifeh is located at SAG-AFTRA Plaza, 5757 Wilshire Blvd., Suite #5, Los Angels, CA is a specialized dentist Serving patients in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Miracle Mile,  Hollywood, Larchmont Village and all regions in southern California. Above all, he hold a master of science degree in Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine from the University of Southern California. He is an expert in recognizing and treating various forms of mouth ulcer conditions, mouth sores and other oral lesions. Dr. Khalifeh routinely perform lip biopsy, tongue biopsy, gum biopsy and biopsies to other oral lesions.