Anatomical Assessment of the Inferior Alveolar Canal and Anterior Loop and Measuring its Distance to Mental Foramen in Patients Referred to Radiology Clinics of Shiraz in 2017

Knowledge about inferior alveolar canal (IAC) position is very important in dental surgical procedures of the mandible. It has a close relation to mandibular molar teeth. Anatomic imaging of the mandibular canal prior to surgical procedures, such as implant placement and sagittal split osteotomy, is essential for the best result and minimal complications.Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine normal variations of the mandibular canal and mental foramen in a selected population.Material and methods: A total of 668 high qualities CBCT images of edentulous and dentate patients aged from 15 to 75 were evaluated. CBCT projections were analyzed in different planes (tangential, cross-sectional, and axial). Bifid mandibular canal, presence of anterior loop, the level of cortication and mental foramen variations were identified in cross-sectional and axial views.Result: 668 images, 238 males and 430 females, were evaluated. Statistical analysis did not show a significant correlation between prevalence of bifid mandibular canal, anterior loop and mental foramen in both sides with age and sex (p0.05). A significant relationship was seen between right mandibular canal cortication and age (p=0.003). Anterior loop was detected in 90.5% of cases, and its length was 3.34  while accessory mandibular canal was observed in 4.6% of patients only.Conclusion: This study showed that there are numerous anatomical variations of the mandibular canal, mental foramen and anterior loop. Dentists should be familiar with these variations in order to prevent treatment complications and success of mandibular related dental procedures