Metastatic tumours to the oral region are uncommon. There are more published cases of jawbone metastases than in oral soft tissues. The most common primary sources of metastatic tumours to the oral region are the breast, lung, kidney, bone and colon. The breast is the most common primary site for tumours metastasising to the jawbones, whereas the lung is the most common source for metastases to the oral soft tissues. In the jawbones, the common location of the metastatic lesions is the mandible, with the molar area being the most frequent involved site. In the oral soft tissues, the attached gingiva is the most common affected site followed by the tongue. In nearly 30% of cases, the metastatic lesion in the oral region is the first indication of an undiscovered malignancy at a distant site. The biological basis of the metastatic process is discussed.