Peripheral Ossifying Fibroma on Edentulous Mandibular Alveolar Mucosa

Peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) is a reactive gingival overgrowth occurring frequently in the maxillary anterior region of teenagers and young adults. The pink to red growth may be firm to hard in consistency depending on the amount of bone it contains and may become ulcerated as its size increases. POF is commonly associated with poor oral hygiene and early periodontal disease with majority of cases showing no marked underlying bone involvement radiographically. We report an unusual case of a large POF overlying the edentulous mandibular alveolar ridge along with histopathological correlations. This case could be one of the first to demonstrate that there may be a variant of POF affecting edentulous mandibular mucosa that has not been previously recognized. © 2011, Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India.