Appearance of anatomical structures of mandible on panoramic radiographs in Iranian population

Abstract

Purpose. Currently panoramic radiography is used for diagnosis of dental and bone lesions, but anatomical structures also can be seen and may be useful in dental managements. This study aimed to investigate the visibility of some important mandibular features relating to neurovascular structures in Iranian population. Materials and methods. Panoramic radiographs were taken by Planmeca machine from 412 patients using standard exposure. The position of patient was in compliance with standard protocol. Then mandibular incisive canal was evaluated and data were analyzed statistically. Results. Mental foramen, anterior loop of mental nerve and incisive canal could be observed in 84.2, 66 and 51.7% of the cases. Respectively, lingual foramen was observed in only 6.1% of the radiographs. Gender doesn't affect on the visibility of these structures. There was a relationship between mandibular foramen and canal with age. Conclusion. Mandibular incisive canal was considered in 51.7% of cases, it was observed that the result obtained was more than those of other researches.

Key Words::

• mandibular anatomical structures
• panoramic radiography
• incisive canal
• mandible

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Dr Mahaki for providing statistical support. We would also like to acknowledge the radiologic technicians of the Oral and Maxillofacial Department of Dental Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, Iran, for their cooperation in providing panoramic radiographs.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.