Prevalence of torus palatinus in Turkish schoolchildren

Torus palatinus (TP) is the most common exostosis of the maxillofacial skeleton. It usually does not cause symptoms, but removal may be required if it interferes with the function, denture placement, or suffers from recurring traumatic surface ulceration. Large variations in the prevalence of TP have been reported in different populations and were associated with age and sex. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence, size, and location of TP in a population of young Turkish. A total of 1,943 schoolchildren, 1,056 males and 887 females, ranging in age from 5 to 15 years were assessed for the prevalence, size and location of TP. Inspection and palpation were examined for the presence or absence of TP. The prevalence of the TP in study population was 30.9%. TP was found significantly more in females than in males (34.3, 28.1%, P<0.005). The more of TP were smaller than 2 cm (91.5%), and in molar location (62.9%). This study indicated that the prevalence of TP in Turkish population was high. There was a strong correlation between the prevalence of TP and age or sex.