What is a Torus Mandibularis?
If you’ve never seen a Torus mandibularis, or tori, if there is more than one, it is a bony growth in the mouth, usually located on the bottom jaw on the gum tissue between the premolar teeth and the tongue.
What is that growth?
For the patient who isn’t exactly sure what it is, a torus can be a frightening occurrence. Some erroneously think they’re growing a tooth in an odd spot, a kind of hyperdontia, or growing extra teeth in the mouth. They aren’t sure, but they’re a little freaked out.
But the tori are simply a bony growth, which occurs in between seven and ten percent of the population. They aren’t weird at all. Tori are more prevalent in males and certain ethnic groups, and usually don’t require any care.
Exceptions
When a patient has a torus or tori which interfere with their eating or chewing, when they become irritating, or when the patient requires dentures, tori can be a problem. It used to be that tori were removed by messy and painful oral surgery. Today, a water-powered laser can be used to remove tori if it becomes necessary. It’s painless, prevents the infection surgery can cause and doesn’t require heat, vibration, or even anesthesia.
In the hands of an expert
Remember the frightened patient who wondered what that thing was growing in his mouth? We need to go back to that for a moment. A torus is an example of a situation in which some people are a little fearful of bringing their dental problem to a dentist. Because they don’t know what it is, they think they are the only one.
But, you can be assured that after treating thousands of patients, there are virtually no dental problems which we haven’t seen. You are not a freak or weird. But, if that were the case, and it did happen that a patient came to us with a dental problem we have never encountered, we would never think badly of them or turn them away. Choosing a career in dentistry is one in which we get to meet a lot of different kinds of people, and are always glad. But, as we said before, after thousands of patients, we’ve seen the gamut and would be happy to help you with whatever you bring us.
A note for patients with tori
Unless the torus is bothersome, it can usually be left alone. It isn’t necessary to treat it under most circumstances. If it does become annoying or problematic, see us.
If you need a gentle, caring dental team, please call our office at (623) 362-2550. We’ll give you the very best dental care we can!
