Tori (singular torus) are innocuous and painless growths (projections) in the mouth. A torus is a type of bone spur, i.e., exostosis. When present on the lower jaw, they are called mandibular tori and are most commonly found on the floor of the mouth just under your tongue. You can have tori on your palate as well, which are called tori palatinus. The prevalence of mandibular tori is low, with around only 1% of the population having them in Asian countries.1Prasad, R. G., Sharma, N., & Prakash, R. (2020). Prevalence of Torus mandibularis and its association with para-functional activity in tertiary care centre in Shimla, HP, India: a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Journal of Dental Research and Review, 7(4), 177-181. Palatal tori have an even lower prevalence. Mandibular tori can exist on one or both sides of the mouth. The majority of people have them since birth, and most don’t seek any treatment for the abnormality. It is only when tori interfere with functionality and speaking that people get medical help. Tori removal is achieved with surgical intervention.
Indications For Tori Removal
Doctors opt for tori removal if you are encountering oral-dental issues. The indications for tori removal include:
Functionality:
Large tori tend to interfere with your normal functionality. These growths can reduce the efficiency of mastication and chewing. Clinical research shows that mandibular tori directly impact your bite force and efficiency, and their early removal can prevent the onset of permanent changes in the masticatory system (stomatognathic system).2Mendes da Silva, J., Pérola dos Anjos Braga Pires, C., Angélica Mendes Rodrigues, L., Palinkas, M., de Luca Canto, G., Batista de Vasconcelos, P., … & Regalo, S. C. H. (2017). Influence of mandibular tori on stomatognathic system function. CRANIO®, 35(1), 30-37.
Speech:
Palatal and mandibular tori can interfere with your speech. The extra growths on the mandible can change the position of the tongue in the oral cavity and consequently affect your phonetics. Similarly, bony contours on the palate hinder you from properly speaking the palatal consonants. Excision of the tori repositions the tongue and restores normal tongue function (including speech).3Rios, B. R., Momesso, G. A. C., Araújo, W. A. F., Barbosa, S., Silva, M. C., Fonseca, J. M., … & Faverani, L. P. (2021). Exeresis of bilateral mandibular torus due to speech impairment–case report. Research, Society and Development, 10(16), e204101623565-e204101623565.
Preparation For Prosthesis:
Surgical resection of the tori becomes an important prerequisite when designing a prosthesis. Your dentist will likely ask you to get your tori excised before getting a denture or an implant. Removal of the torus flattens the bone, leading to better retention and fewer complications of prostheses.
Due to the restoration of the oral structures’ position and resumption of masticatory function, tori removal contributes to improved oral health and minimized oral trauma. Modern studies show that tori may have an association with obstructive sleep apnea, too.4Yong, C. W., Quah, B., Kong, N. L. S., Colpani, J. T., & Wong, R. C. W. (2025). Mandibular Oral Tori Predict the Presence but Not the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of the Literature. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation.
Tori Removal Procedure
Thanks to technological advancements in the field of medicine, we now have very sophisticated ways of carrying out surgeries. Most modern dentists prefer performing tori removal with a laser. It is a quick procedure that takes only around one hour to complete. Performed by an oral surgeon, the steps of tori removal are as follows:
Anesthesia:
The first step in the surgery is the administration of anesthesia. The doctor will give you a local anesthetic injection. Some advanced clinics now offer conscious sedation, which is a more comfortable but expensive option.
Incision:
After the tori region becomes numb, your surgeon will create an incision on the roof of the mouth or on the lingual side of the gums to access the palatal or mandibular tori, respectively.
Bone Removal:
After gaining access to the exostosis, the surgeon removes the unwanted growths. There is a variety of surgical instruments that he can use. Conventional methods involve using surgical burs, mallets, and chisels to cut and remove the bony protrusions. However, new and advanced medical lasers offer precise surgeries with minimal bleeding and post-op complications. The Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er: YAG) laser allows precise removal of palatal tori with relative ease. It is superior to the conventional method of bur cutting.5Kusumawardhany, D. F., & Sjamsudin, E. (2025). Treatment of Torus Palatinus: An Overview. Clinical Medicine And Health Research Journal, 5(02), 1210-1213.
Another way of excising the bony growths is piezosurgery. Piezoelectric surgery uses ultrasonic vibrations to cut through bone without inducing damage to surrounding soft tissue structures. Clinical studies show that piezosurgery for mandibular tori removal is highly liked by the patients because it offers faster healing and less procedural discomfort. Thus, patients generally prefer laser or piezoelectric methods over conventional ones.6Pozzetti, E., Garibaldi, J., Cassinotto, E., Figliomeno, E., & Merlini, A. (2023). Piezosurgery Removal of Mandibular Tori: A Case Series. Archives of Clinical and Medical Case Reports, 7(3), 290-294.
Tori Removal Recovery
In people without co-morbidities, recovery is fast and uneventful. Most patients achieve a full recovery within a few weeks to one month. However, you might experience slight procedural discomfort on the day of surgery. You can expect the following sequence of events after a tori removal surgery:
On the day of Surgery:
You might experience some swelling or even slight bleeding during the first 24 hours. You can apply ice packs to lower the swelling.
During the First Week:
The swelling at your surgical site peaks during this period (3-5 days), reciprocating with the underlying inflammatory activity in the body. Over-the-counter painkillers can help you get through this period.
During the Second Week:
You can get your stitches removed after 10-12 days if non-resorbable sutures were used. In the majority of cases, the wound site closes by the end of the second week. However, full recovery still takes up to 8 weeks.
Tori Removal Aftercare
You can follow these steps to minimize complications and speed up the process of healing:
- Strictly follow your doctor’s instructions and take all your prescribed medications timely.
- Shift to a softer diet and avoid hard/crunchy foods for the first few days after surgery. Many people ask the question of what to eat after a tori removal surgery. The answer is “anything soft that won’t hurt your wound”. Meals like yogurt, mashed potatoes, pasta, and pudding, etc. are good for you.
- Take proper rest to allow your body to heal.
- You can apply ice packs on the surgical site to alleviate swelling and pain.
- Rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash can keep the site safe from infections.7Carcuac, O., Klinge, B., & Abrahamsson, I. (2023). Efficacy of chlorhexidine after oral surgery procedures on wound healing: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Oral Investigations, 27(1), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-023-04987-w
Tori Removal Complications
Just like any surgical procedure, there are certain complications associated with tori removal. However, post-op complications of tori removal are rare. Infection and excessive bleeding are common surgical complications. Site swelling persisting for more than a few days also constitutes a complication. In palatal tori cases, there may be a creation of a perforation (hole) in the palate that can create a communication between the oral and the nasal cavities. Allergic reaction to anesthesia is extremely rare. Another rare but serious complication is osteonecrosis, where bone tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply. This has been reported in some cases following tori removal, especially in patients with compromised health conditions.8Kharazmi, M., Nilsson, U., & Hallberg, P. (2017). Case report: Osteonecrosis as a complication of general anaesthesia. British Dental Journal, 222(9), 645. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.387
Final Word
Tori are rare, non-cancerous, bony projections present in the mandible or on the palate. The asymptomatic growths generally do not cause any problems. However, doctors advise a tori removal surgery if they interfere with speech, mastication, or for prosthesis placement. During the procedure, the oral surgeon gives anesthesia, incises the gums, and cuts the bone. He can use conventional bone instruments (like bone chisels, mallets, etc.) or utilize advanced lasers (Er; YAG) and a piezoelectric surgical kit to remove the exostosis. The procedure lasts only an hour (at max), and complete recovery takes a few weeks to a month. Complications are rare. You can speed up recovery by following the doctor’s instructions and shifting to a softer diet during the healing time.
Refrences
- 1Prasad, R. G., Sharma, N., & Prakash, R. (2020). Prevalence of Torus mandibularis and its association with para-functional activity in tertiary care centre in Shimla, HP, India: a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Journal of Dental Research and Review, 7(4), 177-181.
- 2Mendes da Silva, J., Pérola dos Anjos Braga Pires, C., Angélica Mendes Rodrigues, L., Palinkas, M., de Luca Canto, G., Batista de Vasconcelos, P., … & Regalo, S. C. H. (2017). Influence of mandibular tori on stomatognathic system function. CRANIO®, 35(1), 30-37.
- 3Rios, B. R., Momesso, G. A. C., Araújo, W. A. F., Barbosa, S., Silva, M. C., Fonseca, J. M., … & Faverani, L. P. (2021). Exeresis of bilateral mandibular torus due to speech impairment–case report. Research, Society and Development, 10(16), e204101623565-e204101623565.
- 4Yong, C. W., Quah, B., Kong, N. L. S., Colpani, J. T., & Wong, R. C. W. (2025). Mandibular Oral Tori Predict the Presence but Not the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of the Literature. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation.
- 5Kusumawardhany, D. F., & Sjamsudin, E. (2025). Treatment of Torus Palatinus: An Overview. Clinical Medicine And Health Research Journal, 5(02), 1210-1213.
- 6Pozzetti, E., Garibaldi, J., Cassinotto, E., Figliomeno, E., & Merlini, A. (2023). Piezosurgery Removal of Mandibular Tori: A Case Series. Archives of Clinical and Medical Case Reports, 7(3), 290-294.
- 7Carcuac, O., Klinge, B., & Abrahamsson, I. (2023). Efficacy of chlorhexidine after oral surgery procedures on wound healing: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Oral Investigations, 27(1), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-023-04987-w
- 8Kharazmi, M., Nilsson, U., & Hallberg, P. (2017). Case report: Osteonecrosis as a complication of general anaesthesia. British Dental Journal, 222(9), 645. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.387
