Management of Oral Bony Exostosis: A Report from a Teaching Hospital Northwest, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: An oral exostosis is a benign growth of bone that protrude outward from the bone surface. It is a localized bony growth of insidious onset. It may be a nodular, sessile or pedunculated protuberance located on the alveolar surface of the jaw bones, and in the midline of the palate.  Genetical factors, trauma, infection, bony disorder, and disorders of calcium metabolism have been implicated in the etiology. When occurred in the jaws, depending on the anatomic location they are named as torus palatinus (TP), torus mandibularis (TM), or buccal bony exostoses (BBE) and palatal bony exostsosis (PBE).

Aim: The aim of this study was to present the management of oral bony exostosis in our Centre

Methods: This was an observational study of patients that presented to our Dental/Maxillofacial unit at the Barau Dikko Teaching hospital, Nigeria with various forms of exostosis. The study period spanned from June, 2024 to March, 2025. Patients were screened for oral exostosis routinely. Structured questionnaires were fill for each patient that had any form of this condition. The Information that was collected includes patient demography, location of the growth, associated symptoms, size at presentation, treatment received and complications observed. This data obtained were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (IBM SPSS) version.

Results:  54-Patients were noted to present with oral exostosis during the period of study. 33 (61.11%) were females while 21 (38.89%) were males. The ratio of females to males was 1.57 to 1.00. The age ranged from 26 years to 74 years, the mean age is 50 years SD ±13.86. It affected the fourth and fifth decade of life most. Mandibular torus was the commonest 21 (34.5%), then palatal tori. Site of occurrence of this growth include buccal and lingual alveolar process of mandible and maxillae, and midline palate. The treatment giving for 15-patients was excision of the growth and smoothening of the bone surface. Indications for treatment include interference with swallowing, denture placement, pains and irritation of adjacent mucosa. The complications of the surgery were recurrence, tissue retraction, and gingival recession.

Conclusion: The commonest exostosis was mandibular torus; surgical excision was the treatment of choice. Denture placement and discomfort were the major reasons for the excision. Adult females were more affected. All the surgical excision procedures were done under local anaesthesia.