EXAMINATION OF MANDIBULAR LATERAL LINGUAL CANAL WITH CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ANATOMICAL STRUCTURES

Background and Aim: The mandible contains many accessory foramina and canals, particularly on the lingual side. There are two main categories of accessory foramina on the lingual side: medial and lateral lingual foramina. The canal structures of these foramina have been labelled "vascular canals" due to their arterial content. The aim of this study to evaluate the presence of lateral lingual canal, diameter, number and position of the lateral lingual foramen using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: In this study, CBCT images of 250 patients who met our inclusion criteria were retrospectively analysed. Results: Lateral lingual canal (LLC) was detected on the right in 53.2% of the patients and on the left in 57.6%. The mean diameter of the lateral lingual foramina (LLF) on the right and left sides was 0.65 ± 0.24 mm and 0.69 ± 0.23 mm, respectively and the number of canals was mono in 88.6% of the right and 92.1% of the left. LLF was observed more frequently in the second premolar region. The mean values of the distance of the right LLF to the midline of the mandible and the alveolar crest top were 14.30 ± 3.73 mm and 21.07 ± 4.13 mm, respectively. The mean values of the distance of the left LLF to the midline of the mandible and the top of the alveolar crest were 14.61 ± 3.50 mm and 20.65 ± 4.92 mm, respectively. Conclusion: CBCT is recommended for preoperative imaging to determine the location and size of LLF to avoid any possible surgical complications. These vital structures must be assessed using precise CBCT evaluation.