Background: The mandibular canal is an intrabone sheltering the inferior alveolar nerve, and the mandibular foramen serves as a site for performing nerve block. Their positions vary according to populations and ages. Objectives: Determine through a scan study the position of the mandibular canal and its foramen in the melanoderma living in Benin. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive and analytical study was conducted over two years based on the exploitation of 60 digital files of facial scans. The determination of the position of the canal and the mandibular foramen was made from measurements of distances separating the canal from certain points of reference on the mandible. Results: The mandibular foramen, the position of which varies according to age, was situated in children under 10 years of age, in the vicinity of the union of the preceding third and lower half; between 10 and 20 years, it would be around the meeting of the 2/3 before and the lower half then around the 2/3 before and 2/3 below the mandibular ramus. Compared to the alveolar ridges, the mandibular canal was closer to the root of the third molar than it is to the other molars. It appeared more lateral at the level of the second and third molars. Conclusion: The position of the mandibular foramen and canal varies according to age in the beninese population. A preoperative CT (computed tomography) scan is desirable to avoid iatrogenic lesions to the inferior alveolar nerve. KEY WORDS: Canal, Foramen, Mandibular, Position, Beninese melanoderma.