Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify the relative position and course of the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) in relation to the apices of the teeth in Saudi dentate subjects. Measurements were taken using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). PATIENT AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional retrospective study, 124 cases were selected from the archived images in "Galileos" CBCT machine in Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy. The sample included both males and females with their ages ranging from 15 to 61 years. The distance between the apices of the teeth from the first premolar till the second molar was measured. Also, the distance between the buccal and lingual alveolar plates and the inferior alveolar canal and the distance from the inferior border of the mandible to the alveolar canal were assessed utilizing the cross-sectional images. RESULTS: The buccolingual linear measurements indicated a lingual course of the canal in both males and females. A significant difference existed between males and females regarding the vertical distance inferior to the IAC at first premolar on the right and left sides, On the right side in females the linear distance was (9.2 mm ± 1.03), and in males (10.9 mm ± 1.5), while on the left side in females the distance was (8.9 mm ± 1.7), while in males (11.3 mm ± 0.34). In 57% of the study group the mental foramen was found between the first and second premolars, while in 35% of the studied cases it was located below the second premolar. CONCLUSION: The inferior alveolar canal acquires a lingual course in this selected sample of the Saudi population detected by cone beam computed tomography.