The find in the picture
A formation in the bone is visible on an X-ray or CT scan, although there is nothing to worry about.
CONDITION / JAWS, MOUTH AND NECK
Benign tumors of the jaws.
Benign tumors of the jaws, which this page is about, are odontogenic: they grow in the jawbone from the remnants of tissues from which teeth develop. It's not cancer, but some of them, like ameloblastoma, behave aggressively: they destroy bone and come back if they're not removed enough. It is treated surgically, and after resection the jaw is often restored with its own bone.
CONCEPTUAL VISUALIZATION- What it is
- Odontogenic tumors: grow in the jaw bone from the remnants of tissues from which teeth develop. Not cancer.
- Which are
- Odontoma, ameloblastoma, myxoma, cementoblastoma and others.
- What are dangerous?
- Some grow aggressively: they destroy the bone and return after insufficient removal.
- How we treat
- Surgical - from tumor removal to resection of the jaw area with bone restoration.
01 / WHAT IS ITWhat is
What is
benign tumor of the jaw.
Odontogenic tumors arise in the upper and lower jaw from the remnants of tissues from which teeth develop, and occur in people of any age. Many of them do not make complaints for a long time, so they are often found by accident - in a picture taken for another reason.
Tumors are very different in behavior. Odontoma — accumulation of tooth tissues; after removal, it rarely returns. Ameloblastoma is the second most common odontogenic tumor: it grows slowly, but does not stop and destroys the surrounding bone. Because it is found earlier, the operation and subsequent restoration of the jaw can be less.
A benign tumor is not cancer. Malignant tumors of the jaws and cysts of the jaws are described on separate pages: they are treated differently.
This is general information. The doctor will tell you what will suit you after the examination.
02 / SIGNSHow they manifest
How they manifest
jaw tumors
The complaint may not be there for years: the tumor is noticed on the picture or when the jaw has already changed its shape.
The jaw thickened
The bone gradually expands. With myxoma, this is a typical sign, with cementoblastoma, in the analysis of 258 cases of bone expansion, it was 74.9%.
The tooth does not erupt
A milk tooth does not fall out, and a permanent tooth does not appear - in the picture, there may be an odontoma on its way.
Pain near the tooth
Some tumors hurt: in the analysis of 258 cementoblastomas, there were complaints in 70.2% of cases.
The contour of the face has changed
Large ameloblastoma can noticeably change the shape of the jaw and face.
03 / REASONSWhich are
Which are
benign tumors.
The name of the tumor is given by histology, and it depends on it how extensive the operation will be.
Odontoma
In a series of 551 odontogenic tumors from Chile, odontoma was the most common — 40.1%. A complex odontoma is typical for people under the age of 20 and often stands in the way of an unerupted tooth.
Ameloblastoma
In the same series — 17.6% (ordinary ameloblastoma). It can be continuous (solid), polycystic or single-chambered; according to meta-analysis data, solid and polycystic are growing the fastest.
Myxoma
In the analysis of 1692 cases, it occurred more often in women and in the lower jaw, usually expanded the bone and could break through its wall without causing pain.
Cementoblastoma
Formed near the root of the tooth. In the analysis of 258 cases — mainly in 10–30 years old, in the back parts of the jaws, especially near the first molars of the lower jaw.
Cyst or tumor?
Some tumors on the picture look like a cyst, so the final diagnosis is made based on histology.
Jaw cysts
04 / SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE
When to seek medical advice?
A benign tumor of the jaw usually does not require emergency care. But you shouldn't postpone the examination either: ameloblastoma grows, and the larger it is, the more extensive the operation will be. Urgent care may be needed after surgery.
103 immediately if:
- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath appeared suddenly;
- difficulty speaking or swallowing;
- chest or upper back pain;
- the heart beats very often;
- the person fainted;
- big swelling inside the mouth;
- swelling makes it difficult to open the mouth;
- the eye is swollen or painful or the vision has suddenly worsened;
- bleeding from the wound does not stop, although you press it firmly with a clean napkin;
- the blood spurts, bright red and hard to stop.
Do not delay if:
Immediately - to the surgeon who operated, and if it does not work - to the waiting room: a wound in the mouth, on the neck, or on the leg bleeds lightly, but does not stop, although you pressed it for at least 10 minutes; pain and swelling of the face are severe or increasing, and painkillers do not help; the leg from which the bone was taken hurts and swells more and more, or the skin on it is red or darkened - this can be a sign of a blood clot in a vein. On the same day - to the doctor: you cough up blood; fever rises, pus comes out of the wound, pain in the mouth with an unpleasant taste, or generally feeling bad. Urgently, without waiting for a scheduled appointment, to a dentist or maxillofacial surgeon: a lump in the mouth or on the lip does not go away. Plan, but don't delay: the jaw thickened; the formation was found on the picture; the milk tooth does not fall out, and the permanent tooth does not erupt.
05 / DIAGNOSTICSHow to determine
How to determine
tumor type.
- Review and conversation
When did the changes appear, were there jaw surgeries before; examination of the jaw, mouth and teeth.
- CT of the facial skull
Shows the size of the tumor, the condition of the jaw walls and the relationship with the teeth.
- Biopsy
The type of tumor is determined under a microscope. It depends on him whether it is enough to remove the tumor or whether resection is necessary.
- 3D plan
If resection is required, both removal and restoration of the jaw are planned in advance according to CT.
06 / TREATMENTHow we treat
How we treat
benign tumors of the jaws.
Benign tumors of the jaws are treated surgically, and the scope of the operation depends on the type of tumor. Odontoma is removed, and ameloblastoma, according to reviews, is better removed with a reserve of healthy bone; after this, the jaw often has to be restored. Gentler interventions are less traumatic, so the approach is selected for each patient.
01
Ameloblastoma
The main question is gentle removal or resection.
- Relapses
- In a meta-analysis of 20 studies, solid or polycystic ameloblastoma returned in 8% after radical treatment (resection with bone reserve) and in 41% after sparing. For one-chamber — 3% and 21%. All studies were retrospective, so the evidence is not as strong as we would like.
- Polycystic
- For primary polycystic ameloblastoma, the risk of recurrence after sparing treatment in a meta-analysis was 3.15 times higher than after bone resection.
- Decompression
- The tumor is opened to shrink it before a smaller operation. In a meta-analysis of 9 studies (555 ameloblastomas), it decreased by an average of 55.3%. Recurrences were 2.1 per 100 patient-years (that is, about 2 per 100 patients for each year of observation) for single-chamber and 8.9 for polycystic; the data are heterogeneous.
- Medicines
- About 66% of ameloblasts have the BRAF V600E mutation. Drugs that block it were tried to reduce the tumor before surgery, but the data so far are only from the descriptions of 9 patients.
02
Other tumors
- Odontoma
- Deleted; relapse is rare. Orthodontic treatment of an unerupted tooth is usually not necessary: odontomas are mostly small.
- Myxoma
- In the analysis of published cases (recurrences were assessed in 695 of 1692), the most recurrences were after curettage (31.3%), the least - after marginal (1.3%) and segmental (3.1%) resection; removal with peripheral osteotomy — 6.7%. The authors advise starting with it: resection gives fewer relapses, but more consequences.
- Myxoma: surveillance
- In a review of 39 patients with an average follow-up of 10 years, myxoma returned in 13%; in the upper jaw — more often than in the lower. Distortions and sensory disturbances were more common after resection.
- Cementoblastoma
- The tumor is removed; in an analysis of 258 cases, it returned in 11.8% (20 out of 170) — more often when expanding the bone or breaking through its wall.
03
Restoration of the jaw
After the resection, the bone is regenerated with its own tissues.
- Fibula flap
- It is considered the main method for complex reconstructions of the lower jaw. In a series of 30 patients with ameloblastoma of the lower jaw, there were no recurrences during an average follow-up of 5 years; of the 26 who answered the survey, 96% were satisfied with the appearance, 88% ate normal food.
- 3D planning
- In a meta-analysis (241 patients with virtual planning and 214 without it), surgery with planning lasted an average of 44.64 minutes less; no difference in complications was found.
- Leg after bone removal
- Complications from the lower leg are usually minor and transient. In the review of 42 articles: slow healing of the wound — 17.4%, chronic pain — 6.5%, limitation of movements in the ankle joint — 11.5%, noticeable gait disturbances — 3.9%.
- Dental implants
- Dental implants can later be inserted into the transplanted bone. In a study of 34 patients after ameloblastoma resection, those who were given them chewed better; both groups were equally satisfied with the appearance.
07 / AT THE VALIKHNOVSKYI INSTITUTE
How
How
we treat it.
Benign tumors of the jaws at Dr. Valikhnovskyi's Institute of Surgery are considered in the "New Face" direction: restoration of the jaw after tumor removal is one of its tasks. If the tumor requires resection, the removal and reconstruction of the bone are planned together, according to the CT scan and the three-dimensional model.
CLINIC SERVICE
A new face
Form, symmetry, facial expressions and functions after injuries, wounds, burns, removal of tumors and congenital changes.
View service
What we do for this condition
- Reconstruction at the same time as removal — the jaw is reconstructed during the same operation, if the tumor is completely removed; if not, at a separate stage after histology.
- Fibula flap — tibia bone segments with their own vessels are folded into the shape of a jaw according to a 3D template and fixed with titanium.
- Virtual 3D planning — a mirror model from the CT scan and printed templates so that the bone cuts coincide with the plan.
- Individual implants — plates or fragments of the jaw made of titanium or PEEK, made according to the 3D model.
- Radial forearm flap — if the mucous membrane of the mouth needs to be restored together with the bone.
Rostislav Valikhnovskyi
Plastic surgeon, candidate of medical sciences, founder of Dr. Valikhnovskyi Institute of Surgery.
How treatment works with us
- Pictures onlineSend CT scans, biopsy results and discharges - the doctor will pre-evaluate the situation.
- ConsultationExamination and CT of the facial skull; if the diagnosis is not yet available, a biopsy plan.
- PlanExtent of removal by type of tumor; whether reconstruction is needed and from which fabrics.
- SurgeryRemoval of the tumor and, according to the indications, restoration of the jaw in the same operation.
- Recovery and supervisionFor some time the food is only soft or liquid; then - control reviews and pictures over the years.
08 / QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSCommon
Common
questions
Short answers. What is right for you, the doctor will tell you during the consultation.
Is it necessary to remove ameloblastoma?
This is usually advised: it grows slowly, but does not stop and destroys the bone. The earlier it is removed, the smaller the amount of surgery and recovery can be.
Why can't you just scrape out the tumor?
For ameloblastoma and myxoma, gentler interventions lead to more recurrences: in a meta-analysis of 20 studies, solid ameloblastoma returned in 41% after gentle treatment and in 8% after radical treatment. But gentle operations are less traumatic, so the approach is chosen individually.
Is it possible to do without removing part of the jaw?
Sometimes yes. Unicameral ameloblastomas are less likely to return, and decompression can shrink the tumor before minor surgery. The decision depends on histology, size and location.
What is the jaw reconstructed from?
For complex reconstructions of the lower jaw, the fibula flap on its own vessels is considered the main method; its form is planned in advance according to CT.
Will the leg work normally after bone removal?
Complications from the lower leg are usually minor and transient. In a review of 42 articles, 6.5% had chronic pain, 3.9% had noticeable gait disturbances.
Will it be possible to chew and set teeth?
Dental implants can later be inserted into the transplanted bone. In a study of 34 patients, those who were given them chewed better.
How long to observe after the operation?
For years. Recurrences of myxoma in the review were calculated for an average of 10 years of observation, so control examinations and images last a long time; the schedule is determined by the surgeon.
Sources
21 sources · meta-analyses, reviews, patient series and NHSshowCollapse
- Odontogenic Cysts and TumorsAnnals of Plastic Surgery, 2019doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000001738 ↗
- Epidemiological Features of 4777 Cysts and Odontogenic Tumors Based on the 2022 WHO ClassificationOral Diseases, 2025doi:10.1111/odi.15146 ↗
- Establishing the Natural History and Growth Rate of Ameloblastoma with Implications for Management: Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPLOS ONE, 2015doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117241 ↗
- Radical vs conservative treatment of intraosseous ameloblastoma: Systematic review and meta-analysisOral Diseases, 2019doi:10.1111/odi.13014 ↗
- Recurrence rate following treatment for primary multicystic ameloblastoma: systematic review and meta-analysisInternational Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2016doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2015.12.016 ↗
- The Effectiveness of Decompression in Ameloblastoma Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisJournal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2026doi:10.1016/j.joms.2026.03.015 ↗
- BRAF inhibitors in BRAF V600E-mutated ameloblastoma: systematic review of rare cases in the literatureMedical Oncology, 2023doi:10.1007/s12032-023-01993-z ↗
- Characteristics, Diagnosis and Treatment of Compound Odontoma Associated with Impacted TeethChildren, 2022doi:10.3390/children9101509 ↗
- Odontogenic myxoma: An updated analysis of 1,692 cases reported in the literatureOral Diseases, 2019doi:10.1111/odi.12875 ↗
- Recurrence rate of odontogenic myxoma after different treatments: a systematic reviewBritish Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2019doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2019.09.005 ↗
- Cementoblastoma: An updated analysis of 258 cases reported in the literatureJournal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, 2017doi:10.1016/j.jcms.2017.08.002 ↗
- Primary treatment of mandibular ameloblastoma with segmental resection and free fibula reconstruction: achieving satisfactory outcomes with low implant-prosthetic rehabilitation uptakeJournal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 2014doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2014.01.005 ↗
- Long-term outcome of patients with or without osseointegrated implants after resection of mandibular ameloblastoma and reconstruction with vascularized bone graft: Functional assessment and quality of lifeJournal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 2018doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2018.03.008 ↗
- What Is the Price to Pay for a Free Fibula Flap? A Systematic Review of Donor-Site Morbidity following Free Fibula Flap SurgeryPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2012doi:10.1097/PRS.0b013e3182402d9a ↗
- Virtual Surgical Planning for Mandibular Reconstruction With the Fibula Free Flap: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisAnnals of Plastic Surgery, 2020doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000002006 ↗
- Dental abscessNHS, 2026nhs.uk/conditions/dental-abscess ↗
- Wisdom tooth removalNHS, 2024nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/wisdom-tooth-removal ↗
- Cuts and grazesNHS, 2026nhs.uk/conditions/cuts-and-grazes ↗
- Pulmonary embolismNHS, 2026nhs.uk/conditions/pulmonary-embolism ↗
- DVT (deep vein thrombosis)NHS, 2026nhs.uk/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt ↗
- Mouth cancer: SymptomsNHS, 2023nhs.uk/conditions/mouth-cancer/symptoms ↗
The figures on the page are from these sources.
They found a tumor
in the jaw?
Send CT scans, biopsy results, and discharges. The doctor will tell you how much surgery is needed and how to restore the jaw.