Tori Removal (Bony Growths)
 If your dentist has pointed out a hard, bony bump on the roof of your mouth or along the inside of your lower jaw, that is most likely a torus, and Oral & Facial Surgery removes these growths for patients across Pullman, WA and Lewiston, ID.
Tori (the plural of torus) are benign overgrowths of bone that build up slowly over the years. They are common and harmless on their own, and they only call for treatment when they interfere with a comfortable bite, a well-fitting denture, or clear speech.
Most people never need anything done about their tori. Removal usually makes sense only when a growth has gotten large enough to rub against food, trap plaque, affect speech, or block the seal of a denture or partial. When that happens, our oral surgeons reshape or remove the bone in a focused outpatient procedure, frequently as one step in pre-prosthetic surgery to prepare the mouth for dentures.
A growth in your mouth understandably makes people nervous, and the first question we hear is almost always whether it could be something serious. Tori are not tumors and they are not cancer. They are simply extra bone, and we can confirm that quickly during your exam so the conversation can move on to whether removal is even worth considering.
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What Are Oral Tori?
 Tori are smooth, rounded growths of extra bone covered by normal gum tissue. They show up in two main places: along the roof of the mouth, where they are called a torus palatinus, and on the inside of the lower jaw near the tongue, where they are called mandibular tori. They tend to run in families, often appear on both sides of the mouth, and grow so gradually that many people do not notice them until a dentist points one out.
On their own, tori do not need to come out. We recommend removal only when a growth starts causing real problems. The most common reasons we treat them include:
- Denture and partial fit – A torus can sit exactly where a denture base needs to seal, making the appliance loose, sore, or impossible to wear comfortably.
- Ongoing irritation – The thin tissue over a large torus is easily scratched by crunchy or sharp foods, leading to sore spots that struggle to heal.
- Speech and tongue space – Large mandibular tori can crowd the tongue and affect how certain sounds form.
- Food trapping and hygiene – Bigger growths create pockets that catch food and make the area harder to keep clean.
If none of these apply to you, leaving the tori alone is usually the right call, and we will tell you so. We use 3D cone beam imaging to map the exact size and position of the bone before recommending anything, so the decision is based on your specific anatomy rather than guesswork.
In some cases, smoothing the surrounding ridge of bone with a related procedure called alveoloplasty is part of the same visit, particularly when we are getting the jaw ready for a denture.
Your Oral Surgeons in Pullman and Lewiston
Tori removal is bone surgery, and it belongs with a specialist who works on the jaw every day. At Oral & Facial Surgery, your care comes from Dr. Stephen W. Holm and Dr. Sherdon W. Cordova, two oral and maxillofacial surgeons who have spent decades reshaping and removing bone during extractions, implant preparation, and denture work. Both hold board certification in oral and maxillofacial surgery, a credential that requires years of hospital-based surgical residency after dental school.
Dr. Holm completed that residency at Carle Foundation Hospital, served as chief resident, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. More on Dr. Holm’s background. Dr. Cordova trained in the same program and then served as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the United States Air Force before settling back in the region, and his bio covers that path.
Reshaping the jaw is routine work for both surgeons, not an occasional task, which is exactly what you want when the procedure involves removing bone in a sensitive area.
What to Expect During Tori Removal
Tori removal is an outpatient procedure, which means you arrive, have the treatment, and go home the same day. Most cases take under an hour, and the steps are straightforward.
Planning and Imaging
We start with a cone beam CT (CBCT) scan of your jaw so we can see the exact shape and thickness of the bone and the position of nearby nerves and tooth roots. This planning step is what lets us work precisely and avoid surprises during the procedure itself.
Comfort and Anesthesia
For most tori, local anesthesia fully numbs the area and you stay awake but completely comfortable. If you feel anxious or the case is more involved, we also offer nitrous oxide and IV sedation so you can relax or doze through the appointment. We review the right option for you before the day of surgery.
Reshaping the Bone
Once the area is numb, we make a small opening in the gum tissue, smooth or remove the excess bone, and place dissolvable sutures to help the gum heal. Because we are working with bone that sits just under a thin layer of tissue, the procedure is more about careful reshaping than major surgery.
Healing and Recovery
You go home with simple aftercare instructions and usually manage any soreness with over-the-counter pain relief. Most people return to normal activities within a day or two, stick to softer foods for about a week while the gum closes over, and feel fully healed within a few weeks. If your tori removal is preparing your mouth for a denture, we coordinate the timing so the bone has settled before the appliance is made.
Benefits of Removing Problematic Tori
 When a torus is actually causing trouble, removing it solves a problem that only gets worse as the growth slowly enlarges. Because our surgeons handle a great deal of denture preparation, the patients we see most often are the ones whose torus is wrecking the fit of a denture or partial, and they tend to notice the difference right away.
- A denture that finally fits – With the bone smoothed flat, a denture or partial can seal against the gum the way it is supposed to, which means better suction, less slipping, and far fewer sore spots.
- Relief from chronic irritation – Removing the growth takes away the hard ridge that food and the tongue keep catching on, so the tissue can finally stay healthy.
- Easier cleaning – A flatter ridge has fewer nooks for plaque and food to hide in, which helps protect the gums and remaining teeth.
- Clearer speech and more tongue room – For people with large lower-jaw tori, freeing up that space can make speaking and eating more comfortable.
It is worth repeating that these benefits only matter if a torus is genuinely in the way. We will be honest with you if yours is not, because there is no reason to treat bone that is not causing a problem.
Why Choose Our Team for Tori Removal
Tori removal is not a procedure most general dentists handle in-house; it gets referred out to a surgeon. That referral usually lands with practices like ours, and there are a few concrete reasons it makes sense to come straight to an oral surgeon.
First, this is bone work, and our surgeons spend their days operating on the jaw. Between them they have more than forty years of combined experience and have performed bone reshaping countless times during extractions, implant cases, and denture bone reshaping. Second, we plan every case with 3D imaging rather than a flat X-ray, so we know the thickness of the bone and the location of nearby nerves before we start. Third, we handle comfort in-house, from local anesthesia to IV sedation, so anxious patients are not sent elsewhere for that part.
We serve patients throughout the Lewiston/Clarkston and Moscow/Pullman regions from our two offices, so your follow-up care stays with the same team that performed the procedure.
Tori Removal Cost and Insurance
Cost is a fair thing to ask about up front, and we would rather be straight with you than vague. The price of tori removal depends on a few things: whether one growth or several are being treated, the size and location of the bone, and whether you choose sedation beyond local anesthesia.
Because tori removal is often medically necessary, especially when it is needed to make a denture wearable, many dental and some medical plans cover part of the procedure. Our team verifies your benefits ahead of time and gives you a clear estimate, so there are no surprises. You can review the plans we work with and our insurance and financing options in more detail.
To get a personalized estimate, call our Lewiston, ID office at 208-743-1640 or our Pullman, WA office at 509-330-5020. We are happy to walk through coverage and any financing questions before you commit to anything.
Schedule Your Tori Removal Consultation
If a torus is making your mouth sore or keeping a denture from fitting, start with a consultation. Call our Lewiston, ID office at 208-743-1640 or our Pullman, WA office at 509-330-5020. You can also request an appointment online. We are at 444 Thain Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501 and 1256 Bishop Blvd Suite I, Pullman, WA 99163. Have questions first? You can contact us anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are oral tori dangerous or a sign of cancer?
No. Tori are benign growths of normal bone, not tumors, and they do not turn into cancer. The reason we examine them is to rule out anything else and confirm what they are, which we can usually do during a single exam at our Pullman or Lewiston office. Any growth in the mouth is worth having looked at, but tori themselves are harmless.
Do I have to have my tori removed?
In most cases, no. If your tori are not interfering with eating, speaking, denture fit, or hygiene, the right choice is usually to leave them alone and simply monitor them. Removal becomes worth considering when a growth is large enough to cause sores, trap food, or stop a denture from sealing.
Is tori removal painful?
The procedure itself is not painful because the area is fully numbed first, and most patients feel only pressure. Afterward, soreness is usually mild and manageable with over-the-counter pain relievers. Patients often compare the recovery to having a tooth extracted rather than to anything more involved.
Will I need to be put to sleep for tori removal?
Usually not. Local anesthesia is enough to numb the area completely for most tori, and you stay awake but comfortable. For larger cases, or for patients with significant dental anxiety, we offer nitrous oxide or IV sedation as options. We decide together which level of comfort fits you before the appointment, not on the day of surgery.
Why do tori interfere with dentures?
A denture works by sealing against a smooth ridge of gum and bone. A torus creates a hard bump right where the denture base needs to sit, which breaks that seal and causes the appliance to rock, slip, or rub. Smoothing the bone first is often what makes a comfortable, stable denture possible in the first place.
Can you remove tori in Pullman or Lewiston during the same visit as other surgery?
Often, yes. When tori removal is part of preparing for dentures, we frequently combine it with related bone reshaping such as alveoloplasty in a single appointment at our Pullman, WA or Lewiston, ID office. Combining steps means one recovery period instead of two. Our team maps out the most efficient plan for your case during the consultation.
Will my tori grow back after removal?
Regrowth is uncommon. Tori develop very slowly over many years, and once the excess bone is removed, it rarely returns to a size that causes problems. Our surgeons remove enough bone to resolve the issue while protecting the healthy structure underneath.
Why choose an oral surgeon for tori removal instead of my general dentist?
Most general dentists refer tori removal to an oral surgeon because it involves working directly with bone. At Oral & Facial Surgery, Dr. Holm and Dr. Cordova perform bone reshaping routinely and plan each case with 3D imaging, so the procedure is handled by surgeons who do this kind of work daily. That experience is the main reason to come straight to a specialist. |
