6 CONCLUSIONS
Torus represents a common pathologic abnormality that is well recognized by dental professionals, but this entity has received scant mention in the medical textbooks and literature. The lesion may be detected incidentally during a routine physical examination, or some patients may first seek medical advice because of their concern that the enlarging or ulcerated torus could be a malignant tumor. Therefore, it is important for the primary care physicians to be familiar with the appearance of these tori and their potential clinical complications. There is no evidence for malignant transformation of these tori, but the larger protuberant lesions causing significant symptoms may require referral to an oral surgeon for local resection. Although several causal factors have been postulated for the development of tori, the exact etiology of this condition in any individual patient may need further assessment to determine its underlying pathogenesis and possible genetic nature.