Prevalence of Bifid Mandibular Canal Patients Referred to Rafsanjan Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Clinic in 2019-2021

Introduction: Bifid mandibular canal is one of the types of mandibular canal. Considering that failure to identify the bifid mandibular canals can lead to various complications. In the present study, bifid mandibular canal was evaluated by CBCT (Cone beam Computed tomography) images in Rafsanjan City. Methods: In this descriptive cross sectional study, all the patients who underwent CBCT at a private oral and maxillofacial radiology clinic in Rafsanjan City during the May 2019 until May 2021 were evaluated. The mandibular canal and its different types were evaluated by an experienced radiologist, using CBCT images in reconstructed coronal, sagittal and panoramic planes for each quadrant. The bifid mandibular canal was identified and its type was determined based on Naitoh classification. After collecting the data, they were entered into SPSS version 16. Descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation and frequency) were used to evaluate the data. Results: In the present study, 815 CBCT radiographs were examined and 62 (7.6%) cases consisting of 29 men (7.2%) and 33 (8%) women had bifid mandibular canal. The results declared there was no significant difference between the prevalence of bifid mandibular canal between the two sexes (P = 0.647). In addition, the type of bifid canal, canal side and canal branch location were not significantly different between the two sexes. Conclusion: The present study showed that the prevalence of Bifid mandibular canal in one sample of Iranian population is 7% and its identification before treatment can prevent further problems.