Prevalence, Characteristic and Dynamics of Mandibular Tori in a Southern German Population: A Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Analysis

Objectives: Torus mandibularis (TM) is a benign bony exostosis on the lingual surface of the mandible, typically developing from the third decade of life with slow progression. Its etiology remains unclear. As TM excision causes no functional or aesthetic deficits, its use as autologous bone graft material (e.g., for pre-implant or sinus lift augmentation) has been suggested. This study investigates the prevalence and expression of TM in a southern German population with regard to age and gender. Additionally, it examines whether TM undergoes dynamic changes over time. The hypothesis is that TM may show temporal growth. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of CBCT scans from 210 randomly selected patients (105 males, 105 females) was performed. Patients were divided into three age groups (≤40, 41–60, ≥61 years; 70 per group). TM was measured using OsiriX MD. For the longitudinal study, 146 CBCTs from 73 patients were compared over intervals of 2–9 years. Surface changes were assessed via 3D overlay using GOM Inspect. Results: TM was found in 30.5% of patients. Prevalence was significantly higher in males (38%) than females (23%). No age-related differences were identified. Most TMs measured <2 mm (n=51); only five exceeded this size. No dynamic growth was observed over time. Conclusion and Clinical Implications: TM is a common anatomical variant, more frequently detected by 3D imaging than clinical examination. In most cases, size remains minimal (<2 mm), limiting its clinical use as augmentation material to rare individual cases.