Prevalence and anatomic topography of mandibular tori : computed tomographic analysis

Abstract

Mandibular tori are located above the mylohyoid ridge. These features are relatively common in most populations, but their prevalence varies with race. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and features of mandibular tori in a Korean population, using computed tomography (CT) images. The CT images of 726 patients were analyzed in this study. The presence or absence of a mandibular torus was identified on the CT images of each patient’s quadrants and categorized according to gender and age. The most common location was also evaluated according to the corresponding teeth. The cortical thickness of each torus was evaluated using a three-dimensional reconstruction software program. The prevalence of mandibular tori among the entire sample was 24.1%, and most cases were bilateral. The mandibular tori were observed more frequently in young adults, with the prevalence being inversely related to age. The most frequently observed location was the premolar region and the mean cortical thickness was 6.9 mm. In conclusion, mandibular tori seem to change with aging. The prevalence in our sample composed of Koreans was 24.1%, and younger patient may be more likely to develop a mandibular torus. Most of the tori showed medium size bilaterally in lingual aspect of premolar region, and all of them were composed of cortical bone.