Bifid mandibular canal: an aberrant anatomic variation

Vijay Kumar (Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India)

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2017): (Available online: 1 August 2017)

Objective: To review the literature and to present the report of a case with bifid mandibular canal.Methods: A cone-beam computed tomography scan with incidental finding of bifid mandibular canal was studied and presented in different sections.Results: The MC is a bilateral channel in the mandible that gives the passage to the inferior alveolar nerve, artery, and vein. It usually presents as a single canal where a variation in anatomy has been reported. The bifid mandibular canal is such an anatomic variant where it splits into two canals.Conclusion: The role of CBCT scans can be emphasized while performing procedures on posterior mandibular region, as it can provide the vital information regarding anatomical variation to avoid iatrogenic complication.