Yes, tori typically increase in size throughout adulthood.
Tori, which are common benign bony growths in the mouth (like torus palatinus on the palate or torus mandibularis on the lower jaw), usually begin to develop during late adolescence.
Based on clinical observations, these growths don't just appear and stop; they tend to gradually increase in size throughout adulthood.
Characteristics of Tori and Age
The growth pattern of tori is often slow and progressive. Here's a simple summary:
| Life Stage | Tori Development/Size Change |
|---|---|
| Late Adolescence | Typically begin to develop |
| Adulthood | Gradually increase in size |
| When Small | Rarely cause symptoms or pain |
| Finding Method | Often incidental during examinations |
When tori are small, as noted, they rarely cause any symptoms or pain. This is why they are often an incidental finding discovered during routine clinical or dental examinations rather than being the reason a person seeks treatment. While their size can increase over many years, intervention is usually only necessary if they become large enough to interfere with dentures, speech, eating, or oral hygiene.
Understanding that tori can grow with age is important for monitoring their development, though for most individuals, they remain small and asymptomatic throughout life.
