RESUMEN
The knowledge of the intraosseous course of the mandibular canal, mental foramen, accessory mental foramen and its anatomical variations is of great importance in oral surgical interventions. The aim of this study is to investigate the position and the course of the intraosseous mandibular canal, the mental foramen and the accessory mental foramen in cadaveric, bones, panoramic and C.T radiographs. Panoramic radiographs were used also to determine the close proximity of impacted mandibular molar teeth to the inferior alveolar canal. This study examined 16 formalin-fixed mandible specimens and 88 dried human mandibles. A retrospective study was performed using panoramic radiographs of 189 patients and cone beam C.T of 11 patients. The mandibular canal frequently lacked definite walls. The artery and vein followed the inferior alveolar nerve, running along the medial side from the mandibular foramen to the first molar. The thickness of the mandible increased from the mandibular foramen to the mandibular body. The horizontal dimension of the mental foramen was 3 mm and its vertical dimension was 2.5 mm. The position of the mental foramen on panoramic radiographs is most commonly below and between the mandibular premolar teeth. The accessory mental foramen was observed in 6.6%. The accessory mental foramen was variable in location with respect to the mental foramen. It was bilateral and retromolar in one case. Retromolar foramen is distinct and may be bigger than the mental foramen. Attention to the accessory mental foramen is important during any oral surgical procedures, and this might reduce the rate of paralysis and hemorrhage in mental and cheek regions. 18% of female cases and 14.4% of male cases has proximity or even contact of molar roots with the mandibular canal. The lingual canal was observed in cone beam C.T in the inside of mental region extend internally from mandibular canal