Bony Lumps Under Your Gums? Braces May Help.
Finding a hard lump under your gums can be quite disconcerting. However, many people experience these bony lumps, called mandibular tori, so rest assured that you're not alone. If these lumps are bothering you and you want them to go away, it's possible that braces may be helpful in doing so. Here's what you need to know about these lumps and how braces can potentially get rid of them.
What They Are
Mandibular tori are kind of like the heel spurs of your jaw. They're a small lump of excess bone that forms on the jaw bone. It can appear on either the top or bottom of your jaw and on either or both sides. Since they're made of bone, they can potentially make your gums hurt if they stretch them too far. However, mandibular tori are benign and therefore harmless. If you haven't been properly diagnosed yet, it's a good idea to go to the dentist and get checked to ensure that's what they are.
Why They Form
Like heel spurs, mandibular tori form when there's too much pressure on the bone in a specific place. Your body is designed to build new bone when it senses stress and pressure. It's how the body ensures that parts of the bone that are under strain are strong enough to handle it, and day-to-day pressure helps to keep your jaw bone healthy. However, if there's too much pressure, these lumps in the bone can form. The good news is that like heel spurs, it's possible to get rid of them by taking the pressure down. However, that's not always easy when it comes to your jaw, as people often grind their teeth and clench without realizing it. Having crooked teeth also makes matters worse.
How Braces Help
Many people clench their teeth without intending to regardless of stress levels and other problems. This is because crooked teeth can potentially cause more pinpoint strain on your jaw. When a tooth doesn't sit in a row and evenly with its neighbors, any teeth that stick up end up absorbing more pressure than they're supposed to. This pressure gets transferred down into the jaw, and with enough time and repeated pressure, a mandibular tori can form.
By getting braces, you can not only adjust the shape and size of your jaw, but you can also have your teeth moved into proper positions. This will distribute pressure across all of them evenly, ensuring that the jaw bone receives adequate stress to stay strong without building bony mounds.
For more information about braces, contact a local orthodontist.