Anatomic variations of neural canal structures of the mandible observed by 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE Anatomical variations of the dental canal structures are present in a small proportion of the population and often go undiagnosed. In such cases, there could be an increased risk of complications during surgery and failure of anesthesia. The aim of this study was to search for anatomical anomalies in a relatively large random population by using 3-T high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS Sixty-four dentate patients were examined using a modified T2 space sequence. The scans were analyzed with respect to anatomical features, variations, and rarities of the mandibular canal, mental canal, incisive canal, and the nutrient canals. RESULTS Sixteen anatomical variations were identified in the study, and some of those images are presented. CONCLUSION High-resolution MRI performed on a 3.0-T system can effectively visualize variations of the inferior alveolar nerve in dentate mandible of patients. Thus, MRI can be used in dentistry and oral surgery in vague or unclear cases, which could not be clarified by orthopantomography or even a computed tomographic scan, to improve patient care.