Assessment of the incidence and course of mandibular incisive canals in a Japanese population with cone‐beam computed tomography

Abstract

AbstractAimThe mandibular incisive canal (MIC) is a continuation of the mandibular canal anterior to the mental foramen. This observational study was designed to assess the incidence and anatomical parameters of the MIC in a Japanese population using dental cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT).MethodsCBCT images from 156 patients were acquired and processed using the Planmeca Romexis software. The frequency of the MIC; the length of the MIC; the diametter of the MIC; the distance between the mandibular border, MIC origin, and MIC termination were measured.ResultsMICs were visible in 91.0% of the scans. The mean length was 9.9 ± 6.0 mm, and the average diameter was 1.8 ± 0.7 mm. On average, the MIC was located 11.5 ± 2.6 mm from the lower cortical border and continued towards the incisor region in a slightly downward direction, with a mean distance of 9.3 ± 2.6 mm from the lower cortical border.ConclusionsThe high incidence of the MIC (91.0%) indicates that its identification on CBCT images provides useful information for surgical procedures, such as implant placement and block graft harvesting, in the mental interforaminal area of the mandible.