There are different forms of mouth biopsies depending on the site on the mouth and the amount of lining removed.
Excisional
In this case, the aim is to remove the entire lesion. This is often done when a lesion is quite small and only affects one part of the mouth.
Labial Gland Biopsy
This is a very specific biopsy used to diagnose a condition that affects the salivary glands (small lobules in the lining of the mouth that produce saliva), in patients who suffer from dry mouth.
Seven tiny glands are removed from the lower lip, via a small incision and the area is closed with dissolvable stitches.
Incisional
This type of biopsy involves a representative sample of the lesion being taken; i.e. only some of the lesion taken.
This is done when a lesion affects multiple areas of the mouth or for slightly larger lesions, when removing the entire lesion may be inappropriate at this stage.