If you take good care of your oral health, chances are you notice anything new that's different. From a discolored tooth to a recessed gum, many dental problems can be spotted at home. Finding a hard bulge under your gums might seem frightening, but the good news is this condition is fairly common. If you have a hard ridge under your gums, keep reading to find out about the most common cause.

What It Is

Bony ridges, otherwise known as tori, are a medical condition where excessive amounts of bone forms where it isn't needed. In the case of tori, they typically appear under the gums, either beneath your teeth or above them, depending on whether it's the lower or upper gums, respectively.

Tori are not dangerous to your health, but they can be a little alarming to discover. While other conditions can cause hard pockets to develop under the gums, tori are easy to identify because they typically don't hurt and the spot will be hard, as it is just a bone under gum tissue.

How It Forms

Tori are typically formed when people grind their teeth, whether it's during the day or when you're asleep. Your jaw is designed so that when you bite down, the force of your bite is transmitted into your jaw and encourages your jaw to stay strong by building new bone cells. However, this isn't a mechanism that's supposed to happen all the time.

If you grind your teeth for hours on end, that's too much stimulation for your bones. They may end up developing a tori as a result. In most cases, however, tori don't cause any issues for your normal jaw bone structures, so you don't need to worry about that.

What To Do

Most tori don't cause any problems, so many people simply choose to ignore them. While you should visit a dentist to ensure that it really is a tori, and if it is, chances are you'll be given that option.

If it really bothers you, there are a few ways to manage it. For example, consciously making an effort to not grind your teeth during the day and wearing a nightguard at night can take the excess pressure off your jaw. Over time, the excess bone will be reabsorbed back into the body, eliminating your tori.

Alternatively, an oral surgeon can perform surgery to remove the excess bone material. If you're bothered by it and want it eliminated immediately, this may be a good option for you.

Tori are a strange thing to have, but they typically aren't a big deal and go completely unnoticed by others. If you're worried about the lump under your gums, talk to a dentist and get an official diagnosis so you can rest easy.