Torus mandibularis - CT axial und Volume rendering - 001

Torus mandibularis is a bony growth in the

mandible In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone i ...

along the surface nearest to the

tongue The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...

. Mandibular tori usually are present near the

premolar The premolars, also called premolar Tooth (human), teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the Canine tooth, canine and Molar (tooth), molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per dental terminology#Quadrant, quadrant in ...

s and above the location on the mandible of the

mylohyoid muscle The mylohyoid muscle or diaphragma oris is a paired muscle of the neck. It runs from the Human mandible, mandible to the hyoid bone, forming the floor of the oral cavity of the human mouth, mouth. It is named after its two attachments near the mo ...

attachment. In 90% of cases, a torus is on both inner sides of the mandible (left and right); however, they may differ in size. The prevalence of mandibular tori ranges from 5–40%. They are less common than bony growths occurring on the

palate The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly sep ...

, known as

torus palatinus A torus palatinus (: tori palatini), or palatal torus (: palatal tori), is a bony protrusion on the palate. Palatal tori are usually present on the midline of the hard palate.Neville, B.W., D. Damm, C. Allen, J. Bouquot. ''Oral & Maxillofacial P ...

. Mandibular tori are more common in Asian and

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

populations. They are slightly more common in males. In the United States, the prevalence is 7–10% of the population. It is believed that mandibular tori are caused by several factors, with local stress on individual teeth considered the most relevant factor. Development of tori is more common in early adulthood and is associated with

bruxism Bruxism is excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. It is an oral Parafunctional habit, parafunctional activity; i.e., it is unrelated to normal function such as eating or talking. Bruxism is a common behavior; the global prevalence of brux ...

. The size of tori may fluctuate throughout life and, in some cases, tori may become large enough to touch each other in the midline of the mouth. Consequently, it is believed that mandibular tori are the result of local stresses rather than occurring solely to genetic influences. Typically, mandibular tori are clinical findings without the necessity of treatment. The presence of tori may complicate the fabrication of

dentures Dentures (also known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable ( removable partial denture or comp ...

. If removal of tori is deemed necessary,

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

can reduce the amount of bone, but tori may reform in cases where nearby teeth continue to receive local stresses.

Ulcers An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing ...

may form in the area of tori because of trauma during mastication or from injury by utensils used during consumption of food or drink.

References

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* * {{Authority control Jaw disorders