Morphological Description of Mandibular Canal in Panoramic Radiographs of Brazilian Subjects: Association Between Anatomic Characteristic and Clinical Procedures

morphological and topographic knowledge of the mandibular canal is of paramount importance during dental procedures in the jaw, as structures that go through this canal must be preserved. the aim of this study was to make a morphologic and morphometrical analysis of the course and relations of the mandibular canal of adult men and women, in two different age groups. the sample was composed of 300 panoramic radiographs divided into 4 groups: groups f1 and f2: women (ranging between 18-40 years, and over 40 years of age, respectively); groups m1 and m2:men (ranging between 18-40 years and over 40 years of age, respectively). seven linear vertical measurements were performed in the radiographs to describe the course of the mandibular canal, and its and relations with the anatomic structures of jaw. the horizontal position of the mental foramen and relation of proximity between the mandibular canal and the roots of the mandibular teeth were also evaluated. statistically significant differences were observed in four of the measurements between genders. there was, however, no difference between age groups for any of the measurements. the most frequent position of the mental foramen was between the roots of the mandibular pre-molars; and the mandibular canal shows a relation of proximity to the roots of the mandibular third molar, moving gradually away from the roots of the other teeth. the results suggest that the measurements related to the mandibular canal performed in this study can be influenced by the gender but are independent of age.