Fleeting mild pain on what generally feels like side of throat

For about a week or two now, what feels like a minor "jab" that lasts a split second. Hard to tell where specifically it is (partly because it's so fleeting) but generally feels like the right side (somewhat right of center but not far right) of the throat (inner) or, less often, neck (outer), although I think it's possible it may also be referred from gum/teeth, ears or eyes. I also sometimes feel it or something similar (on my right side) when swallowing but not sure if it's the same cause.

Although it is mild, it was enough to wake me when I was falling asleep at least a few times, although once asleep I don't seem to have been woken up by it except once or twice, I think at the later stages of sleep.

According to my records this or something similar also happened back in January. More recently, it happened in late July for several days, went away for a while, and recently returned.

Occasionally I perceive an even subtler pain on my left side but wonder if that side at least is just normal bodily variation. But given the right side has woken me up and occurred randomly when I'm thinking happily about something else, it seems the right side is something tangible.

Felt around outside of neck, I thought at one point yesterday I seemed to replicate a similar sensation when pressing on an area just right of center and around midway down, but on retrying this morning, seems maybe not.

Other co-events (particularly in head/neck area):
* Left (opposite) side has a semi-soft bump on the cross-section between my ear and jaw, in line with the "tube" under the ear, skin-colored, originally slightly painful on touch and sticking out slightly more in early Aug, but soon became painless but still visible when my head is turned. Haven't determined if it's a lymph node, cyst, in-grown hair, pimple, etc, but since it's not red and hasn't been painful since, it seems less likely to be the latter 3. Pics attached.
* Recent top-right mouth (tooth or gum) sharp pain + bleeding when brushing for a few days. Used Eco-Dent Oral Wound mouthwash and it cleared up.
* Preceding was accompanied by a small (< 1cm) purple painless veiny blotch on right cheek for a day or so which disappeared quickly although hadn't bitten cheek; no idea what that was.
* A week before that, what appeared to be small cut-like wounds on back of right tongue.
* Some days in late July including around the same time as preceding I also noticed mild pain on what initially felt like right side of throat when swallowing. I think in one case it may have been due to sleeping with head in bad position, in another case it may have been referred by the tongue wounds.
* I've had several other "spontaneous" oral ulcers/wounds since January (no obvious cause), seemingly an increase in frequency since preceding years. All nonetheless cleared up within a few days. I eat raw nuts which I sometimes notice my gum bites hard on when I'm not chewing carefully so I'm wondering if that's partly the cause. But then again I've been eating those nuts for years without as much issue. Also was eating Vega nutrition powder which is sort of sludgy so maybe another potential cause if it can stick there. Up until recently, I never flossed (hard to, even with interdental brushes, because of permanent retainers on back of top+bottom teeth, and most teeth are close together; also hard to reach back teeth), but recently got a Waterpik water flosser which seems easier to use so will be using that at least once daily before brushing.
* Recently sometimes runny nose during/after eating, although food is not spicy; more noticeable on left nostril.
* No fever, night sweats, etc. Have had other weird stuff recently such as seemingly easily-obtained muscle soreness/pain, blood blisters on toes for 2 months; and generally random symptoms since 2023 [after taking antibiotics (amoxicillin, clarithromycin), PPIs (omeprazole, pantoprazole) and iron ferrous gluconate to resolve H Pylori (HP), ulcers and IDA (iron deficiency anemia)], some of which involved head/neck but none too recent. I understand at least some antibiotics can cause inexplicable symptoms for months/years due to nuking gut biome. Nonetheless blood tests generally normal, GI endoscopy (Aug '24), GI ultrasounds (last was recent), and HP urea blood test showed no issues. Also no GI issues detected in 3/24 full-body MRI.

Thoughts on what to further investigate: Oral wound infection? Gum disease? Tonsil-related? Referred from something else? I only recently started water flossing so I'm hoping that should yield improvements if it's related to my oral hygiene, and if it doesn't clear I guess I'll start with seeing a dentist. What other types of doctors would be near the top of the list to consider? ENT?