20 years old, 5'11", 135 lbs
Hello, I just noticed for the first time something like 15-20 very small, raised, white, circular bumps on the inner side of my left cheek predominantly clustered within an inch of where my lips meet, as well as one slightly larger red one that looks a little black in the center, like a scab. Then, on the inside of my bottom lip I see another smaller red and black looking scab, but not raised. I just quit smoking. I had been smoking between 3 and 4 years total, the most ever was typically 5-7 a day for maybe a couple of months. I also remember being informed once in the second grade (I think) that I was allergic to smoke; maybe it was tobacco smoke specifically. Anyway, much of my family smokes, or did, and I never encountered any serious problems, nor did there seem to be anything wrong when I would smoke, with the exception of rarely experiencing a noticeable buzz from the cigarette, though I'm not sure that's at all related. I also did share a cigarette with a few strangers about two months ago. I'm not sure if they were there before, but shortly following I noticed LOTS of tiny white circles (although they are not raised) near the edges of my bottom lip and generally all across my top lip. They have not gone away and do not show signs of doing so. It may also be important to add that my teeth have become incredibly thin over the past 1.5-2 years, which I think may have been from smoking, but neither my dentist or an ENT doctor I visited have actually been able to explain why. My teeth are even transparent at the ends of many of them, and they have chipped a lot as a result, many are quite sharp, too. After doing some research and comparing to photographs of people with similar problems, I think it is one of four things (in no particular order): 1. An allergic reaction that I may have never noticed or experienced before, 2. Fordyce spots (however, I feel I'd have noticed them sooner), 3. Leukoplakia (although the photographs look vastly different than what I have), or 4. cold sores (I think I may have contracted herpes labialis from sharing that cigarette with strangers). But, of course, I'm hoping whoever answers will let me know if it is potentially something else, I just figured it might help to share what I've found to be most similar to my condition. Thank you for taking the time to read this and providing any answers.
Also, if it is herpes, will I need to start washing my hands any time they come into contact with my saliva or mouth in order to prevent spreading it (aside from simply avoiding that sort of confrontation to begin with)?
Thanks again.