A hard bony bump on the palate or under the tongue (torus): is it dangerous, does it need removing?
If you've felt a hard, smooth swelling with your tongue in the middle of your palate, or on the inner side of your lower front and premolar teeth, it's most likely a torus, a benign bony growth. Tori grow very slowly over the years, don't hurt and usually need no treatment. People often notice one by chance one day despite having had it for years. Still, not every new swelling in the mouth should be assumed to be a torus; swellings that grow quickly, are soft, painful or ulcerate should be examined.
Types of torus
| Type | Location | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Palatal torus | The midline of the hard palate | A single flat or lobulated bony bump |
| Mandibular torus | Tongue side of the lower premolars and canines | Usually rounded bumps on both sides |
| Exostosis | On the bone on the cheek side of the gum | Small, hard lumps |
Tori are covered by normal lining of the mouth; pressed, they feel hard and don't move.
Why do they form?
The exact cause isn't known; family tendency plays an important role. Habits that put high forces on the jaw, such as clenching and grinding, are thought to be linked especially to mandibular tori. See clenching and grinding. Tori aren't cancer and don't turn into cancer.
When is a torus removed?
- If a denture is planned: When a denture or a prosthesis covering the palate can't sit over it. See dentures.
- If it keeps getting injured: When the thin lining over it is repeatedly hurt by hard food.
- If it makes speaking, eating or cleaning difficult
- If it's very large: When it restricts tongue movement.
- For bone grafting: Occasionally, the removed bone can be used as a graft elsewhere.
Removal is a minor surgical procedure under local anaesthetic: the lining is opened, the bony bump is reduced and stitches are placed. There may be tenderness and swelling for a few days.
Which swellings are not tori?
- A soft, painful swelling on the palate: It may be an abscess from a tooth. See dental abscess.
- A soft, bluish blister inside the lip: It may be a mucocele from a salivary gland.
- A swelling that grows fast, bleeds or ulcerates: Always have it examined. See signs of mouth cancer.
- A pimple-like bump on the gum: It may be a fistula. See a pimple on the gum.
- A one-sided hard swelling that's new and growing: It should be assessed with an X-ray.
Living with a torus
- Chew hard, sharp-edged foods (toast crusts, fish bones) carefully.
- A sore on a torus usually heals in 1–2 weeks; if it doesn't, have it checked. See mouth ulcers.
- If you clench, a night guard protects both your teeth and your jaw joints. See teeth grinding and night guards.
- If a denture is planned, show the torus to your dentist beforehand.
Examination in Beylikdüzü
At Dent32 we assess tori and other swellings during the oral examination and use an X-ray if needed. If a torus affects a denture plan or your daily life we explain the options, and refer cases needing surgery to the relevant specialty.
Dent32 Ağız ve Diş Sağlığı Polikliniği (Dent32 Dental Polyclinic) is at Barış Mah., Ginza Lavinya, E-5 Yanyolu No:30 D:179, 34520 Beylikdüzü, Istanbul and is open seven days a week. To book, call or WhatsApp +90 555 011 33 68, or use our contact page. At the examination we share the findings, the options and the approximate cost in writing; you are under no obligation to start treatment afterwards.
For clinic details, our dentists and the full list of treatments, visit Dent32, our dental practice in Beylikdüzü.
Frequently asked questions
Is a hard lump on my palate cancer?
A hard, smooth swelling that doesn't hurt, in the midline of the palate that has been there for years is most likely a torus and not cancer. Swellings that are new, grow quickly, bleed or ulcerate should be examined.
Does a torus go away?
No; it's bone and doesn't disappear. But since it usually causes no problems, no treatment is needed.
Does a torus need removing?
Only if it prevents a denture fitting, keeps getting injured, or makes speaking, eating or cleaning difficult.
