Abstract
Background. The retromolar canal (RMC) is an anatomical variation that can cause complications in dental procedures. Method. The RMC was evaluated according to age, sex, and presence of accessory mandibular canal and accessory mental foramen, on both sides in 500 panoramic radiographs, belonging to individuals at the age of 7 to 20 years. The associations of interest were studied through Fisher's Exact Test and Pearson's Chi-Square Test, and the correlation was studied through Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r). The significance level used was 5%. Results. The RMC was observed in 44 radiographs (8.8%), and out of those 24 were females. There was no statistically significant association between the RMC and age (p > 0.05; Fisher's Exact Test), sex (p = 0.787; Pearson's Chi-Square Test), amount of mandibular canals and mental foramina, on both sides (p > 0.05; Pearson's Chi-Square Test). There was a significant association between RMC and side, the higher frequency of the canal being on the right side (p < 0.05; Fisher's Exact Test). Conclusions. Despite the low occurrence of the RMC, its identification and the verification of its dimensions and path are relevant, mainly in cases when anesthetic and surgical procedures can present failures or difficulties.
Highlights
Difficulties are not rare in the anesthetic practice in lower teeth
The purpose of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of the retromolar canal (RMC) and to verify the presence of association according to age, side, sex, and the presence of bifid mandibular canal and accessory mental foramen, on both sides by radiographic evaluation
The RMC was observed in 44 radiographs (8.8%), and, out of those, 24 (54.5%) were female
Summary
Difficulties are not rare in the anesthetic practice in lower teeth. Many of them can be related to the variability of the mandibular canal (MC) and its neurovascular content. The retromolar canal (RMC) can be related to those difficulties. It is positioned in the retromolar area of the mandible and it presents morphologic and morphometrical variability [1]. Variability in the prevalence of the RMC is verified in different studies, being observed from 1.7% of occurrence of retromolar canals in the area of temporal crest of dry mandibles [4] up to 75.4% of the 171 individuals assessed through tomography exams [5]. There was no statistically significant association between the RMC and age (p > 0.05; Fisher’s Exact Test), sex (p = 0.787; Pearson’s Chi-Square Test), amount of mandibular canals and mental foramina, on both sides (p > 0.05; Pearson’s Chi-Square Test). Despite the low occurrence of the RMC, its identification and the verification of its dimensions and path are relevant, mainly in cases when anesthetic and surgical procedures can present failures or difficulties
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