Palatal tubercles, palatal tori, and mandibular tori: Prevalence and anatomical features in a US population

The prevalence and features of 3 types exostoses commonly encountered durin g periodontal surgery were studied in a sample of 328 modern American skull s drawn from the collection at the American Museum of Natural History. Meas urements were made of the height, width, and breadth of exostoses. The rela tionship to teeth or other skeletal structures was also recorded. Palatal t ubercles were observed in 56% of all skulls (69% of all dentate skulls), wi th higher prevalences among males and African-Americans. Palatal tubercles were commonly associated with second and third molars, and were usually dir ectly lateral to and a mean of 11.4 mm from the greater palatine foramen. M andibular tori were observed in 27% of all skulls (42% of dentate skulls), with higher prevalences seen among African-Americans and males. The importa nce of these findings relates to the frequent need for exostosis removal to permit proper frap adaptation, especially in the posterior maxilla, and to the potential use of the mandibular and palatal tori as sources of autogen ous cortical bone.