ABSTRACT
Eighteen dried human adult mandibles were collected and sectioned in an attempt to study the anatomic location of the mandibular canal and its relation to the buccal and lingual cortices. After dividing the mandibles into two halves, they were sectioned vertically at three sites: The first cut extended from the most posterior point at the retromolar triangle to the gonion, the second cut extended from a point just posterior to the third molar to a point perpendicular to the inferior border of the mandible and the third cut extended from the tip of the interseptal bone between the second and third molar to a point perpendicular to the inferior border of the mandible. Various surgical and dental procedures in the lower jaw present the possibility of complications to the mandibular canal and its components. Nerve damage is a frequent surgical complication. It has been reported in conjunction with several surgical procedures. A review of literature showed that nerve damage occurs following 0.6% to 5% of third molar removals 1, 5, 16. Spontaneous recovery has been reported representing 96% in relation to the inferior alveolar nerve due to the nerve, being retained within a bony canal which allows the injured nerve endings to be better approximated, the high frequency of the surgery makes the percentage of complication still unacceptable 3, 10