Quite often, patients who I’ve met for the first time and even those I’ve known for many years present to the office with the concern that they may have a tumor in their mouth…upon examination, it’s most usually the same diagnosis…Tori
A dental torus is a benign boney growth of the mouth. It is most prevalent in the inner part of the lower jaw, just under the tongue in the area of the premolars (see image above).
A single dental tori is more commonly known as a Torus, whereas more than one torus is referred to as Tori.
Tori don’t usually need to be removed unless they interfere with the fitting of a denture or affect ones speech.
In this blog we will look at the different classifications of Tori :
1) Lingual or Mandibular Torus: This is just one growth, usually on the inner surface of the lower jaw, adjacent to the tongue…it is on one side of the jaw only. It is a single growth of bone that is covered with soft tissue…smooth to the touch. They start as a small bump and grow larger with age.
2) Bilateral Mandibular Tori: This is a growth on both sides of the lower jaw. Bilateral mandibular tori make up 90 % of all tori…They are :
-usually the same size, as they grow together.
-benign growths that are smooth and singular or multi-lobulated which feel bumpy and often rough.
-even in size, rate of growth and texture.
3) Torus of the Palate aka Torus Palatini: Again, this is a benign growth that occurs on the palate. It is basically the same as the other tori, except for its location.
4) Buccal Exostosis: These are like the other tori, but again just differ in location…they are located on the cheek side of the upper molars.
In the next blog we’ll look at some interesting facts about tori and put your minds at ease if you think that they are cancerous tumors……until then, hold tight.
Dr. F. Keshavarz Dentistry, Brampton Dentist
