Have you ever noticed unusual hard bumps inside your mouth, perhaps on your lower gums or the roof of your mouth? If so, these are most likely harmless bone growths known as dental tori. These small, benign hills of bone are simply covered by normal gum tissue and are a common occurrence for many individuals.
There are three primary types of dental tori:
Mandibular Tori: These growths appear in the lower jawbone, typically on the tongue-side of the gums. They can manifest as a single bump (mandibular torus) or multiple nodules on one or both sides. Approximately six percent of the U.S. population experiences this condition.
Palatal Tori (Torus Palatinus): This type of bony growth forms in the palate, or the roof of your mouth, usually along the midline. It is more common than mandibular tori, affecting about 20 percent of the U.S. population. While they can slowly increase in size over time, they rarely interfere with eating or speech.
Buccal Exostoses: Less commonly discussed, these tori develop on the outer surface of the upper or lower jaw ridges.
Identifying Dental Tori:
The primary "symptom" of dental tori is their visible appearance as slow-growing bony nodules. Many people are unaware they have them until a routine dental examination. These growths can vary in shape, appearing as single or multiple nodules that are regular, irregular, flat, spindle-shaped, or nodular. Mandibular tori typically emerge on the backside of your lower gums, while palatal tori are located in the center of the roof of the mouth. It's crucial to remember that dental tori are benign and do not pose a cancer risk. However, any new or changing oral growths should always be evaluated by a dentist to rule out other concerns.
What Causes Dental Tori?
The development of oral tori is often attributed to a combination of factors, including:
Trauma or Injury: Physical impact to the interior of the mouth can contribute to their formation.
Jawbone Stress: Conditions like teeth grinding (bruxism) and clenching can place stress on the jawbone, potentially leading to tori.
Lifestyle and Diet: Certain dietary influences, such as vitamin deficiencies, fish consumption, and calcium-rich diets, have been suggested as contributing factors.
Age and Sex: The prevalence of tori can vary with age and sex.
Genetics: A predisposition to dental tori can be inherited.
Treatment for Dental Tori:
In most cases, dental professionals do not recommend treatment for tori because they typically do not interfere with daily activities like eating, drinking, or speaking. However, intervention may be considered if the tori:
Become inflamed or irritated, for example, from being scraped during eating or dental procedures like X-rays.
Begin to impede routine oral hygiene practices or basic daily functions.
Hinder the placement of dental appliances such as braces, crowns, or dentures.
Grow to a size where they touch in the middle of the mouth.
Cause other oral health complications.
If tori become irritated, maintaining good oral hygiene with a germ-killing fluoride toothpaste or rinse can help the area heal and reduce bacteria.
Should surgical removal be necessary, a maxillofacial surgeon will perform the procedure, usually on an outpatient basis. This surgery carries the same general risks as any other surgical intervention.
For daily care, the best approach is to avoid irritating any existing growths. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush is highly recommended to gently clean teeth, tongue, cheeks, and gums, ensuring overall oral health. Regardless of whether you have tori, maintaining excellent oral hygiene is fundamental to preventing a wide range of oral health issues.
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