Epidemiological aspects of oral tori in a Ghanaian community.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of oral tori, commonly found among Ghanaians, and compare with that in other regions.

Method: Dental examination records of all 926 patients seen from January 1998 to April 2000 in a dental outpatient clinic in Accra, Ghana, were studied. The existence of a torus had systematically and routinely been ascertained by visual inspection and palpation.

Results: Frequency distribution and cross-tabulation analysis showed an overall prevalence of 14.6% with a female: male ratio of 1.1: 1. The most prevalent variety was the bilateral mandibular torus (12.1%) and the midpalatal torus of the maxillary tori (4.3 %). Females had 2.2 times the probability of having midpalatal torus compared to men (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.2; Confidence Interval: 1.05, 4.70). There was a very strong concurrent relationship between mandibular and maxillary tori (OR = 16; CI = 7.8, 32.5).

Conclusion: Comparisons indicated a strong similarity between torus prevalence in Ghana and the Caribbean regions. This should help in further discussions on the epidemiology of this bony anomaly.