Ductal papillomas are rare benign papillary tumours of the minor salivary glands. The World Health Organization (WHO) has sub-classified ductal papillomas to include inverted ductal papilloma, sialadenoma papilliferum and intraductal papilloma. They represent adenomas with unique histopathological features and arise from the excretory ducts of the salivary glands. The oral inverted ductal papilloma (IDP), first described by White et al. (1982), is the least common lesion, with only 12 cases reported to date in our search of the English-language literature. We describe an interesting case of oral IDP, the histopathological findings and pertinent clinical features. An elderly woman presented with a longstanding asymptomatic submucosal lesion with a central crater-like defect in the buccal sulcus. Surgical excision of the lesion was performed, and at a 2 year follow-up there was no evidence of clinical recurrence. Histologically, the tumour showed a characteristic endophytic growth pattern, composed of bulbous papillary projections of basaloid cells dilating and filling the superficial portion of the excretory duct. Oral IDP is histologically similar to the more common inverted papilloma (IP) of the nose and paranasal sinuses. However, unlike IP the oral variant of the lesion is a completely benign entity and is not reported to be associated with malignant transformation. It is important for clinicians of the Head and Neck region to be aware of oral IDP, so that correct diagnosis and appropriate management may be instituted.