Anatomical variations of the mandibular canal and mental foramen measured by cone beam computed tomography

Vol. 11 – Number 41 – 2019 IMPLANT DENTAL NOTEBOOK Original article Page 57-63 Anatomical variations of the mandibular canal and mental foramen measured by cone beam computed tomography João Roig Martins¹ Thiago Azario de-Holanda² Alesandro Lorenzi² Melissa Feres Damian² Abstract This study investigated the anatomical variations of the mandibular canal (MC) and mental foramen (MF) in a southern Brazilian population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Exams of 99 patients (198 hemimandibles) were evaluated for the presence and location of double mandibular canals (DMC), the presence and extent of MC anterior loops, the presence of an accessory mental foramen (AMF), and the relationship between the AMF and the MC. In addition to descriptive statistics, Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests compared the occurrence of anatomical variations to each side of the mandible and the gender of patients. DMC was found in 63 hemimandibles (32.48%) and most was classified as buccolingual canals. Anterior loops were detected in 14 hemimandibles (7%) and they averaged 1.87±0.56 mm in length. AMFs were found in only 2 hemimandibles (1.1%) and one AMF was related to the MC. Chi-square tests showed no relationship between the anatomical variations and the side of the mandible. However, DMC was significantly more common in men. DMC was observed in a significant percentage of the population and they occurred more frequently in men. However, others anatomical variations evaluated by CBCT were not significantly associated with any characteristic of the study population, suggesting that these are not prevalent variations in southern Brazilians. Descriptors: Mandible, anatomy, tomography. ¹ UFRGS. ² UFPel.