Prevalence and pattern of torus palatinus and torus mandibularis among edentulous patients of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: The most remarkable exostoses of the human jaws are torus palatinus (TP) and torus mandibularis (TM). The aim of the present study was to actuate the prevalence of TP and TM in relation to age and sex among the edentulous patients of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The present study included 847 edentulous subjects (458 men and 389 women) aged between 51 and 79 years. The subjects were examined for the existence of tori by clinical inspection and palpation. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows version. RESULTS: Among the 847 subjects, 149 (17.59%) had either TP or TM. Sixty six (7.79%) subjects had TP, whereas 83 (9.80%) had TM. The maximum percentage (36.36%) of tori was observed in the age-group of 60–69 years. The percentage of males with either tori was higher (19.0%) when compared to females (15.94%). According to shape, the occurrence of flat-shaped TP (57.58%) and bilateral solitary TM (39.76%) was more common. CONCLUSION: No significant difference in the presence of tori with respect to sex and age was observed. A comparatively increased prevalence of TP and TM was however observed, and this should be taken into consideration while planning for prosthodontic and periodontal therapy in these patients.