Lingual foramina of the anterior mandible in edentulous patients: CBCT analysis and surgical risk assessment

The mandible has various unnamed accessory foramina, and surgery is often performed in the symphyseal area. The aim of this study was to analyze the anatomical characteristics of mandibular lingual foramina with the objective of preventing clinical complications during implant surgery on an edentulous mandible.A total of 100 cone beam computed tomography scans of completely edentulous patients were included in this study. For each canal, nine measurements were recorded in millimeters: seven length or height measurements and two diameter measurements. The placement of a standard implant was simulated and whether the implant passed through the canal was noted. The results were analyzed by t-test and chi-squared at a significance level of 0.05. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between variables.We identified 309 foramina: 236 medial lingual foramina and 73 lateral lingual foramina. We found no significant relationship between the number of foramina and the age of the individuals, or between diameter and the age or gender of the individuals. The mandibular canal was injured in 32.7 % of implant placement simulations.The risk of injury to neurovascular bundles is increased in edentulous patients due to vertical bone resorption.