Positional relationship between mandibular third molar and mandibular canal in cone beam computed tomographs

Purpose: To provide diagnostic information by evaluation of the positional relationship between the mandibular third molar and the mandibular canal. Materials and Methods: Eighty-nine mandibular third molars were classified as mesioangular, horizontal, vertical, distoangular groups. The distances between the mandibular third molar and the mandibular canal were measured in cone-beam computed tomographs. The height and width ratios of distances from the mandibular third molar and the mandibular canal to the mandibular inferior border and to the lingual cortical plate were calculated. Results: The vertical and buccolingual distances between the mandibular third molar and the mandibular canal were 0.03 mm, 2.96 mm in the mesioangular, 0.37 mm, 3.38 mm in the horizontal, -1.50 mm, 1.38 mm in the vertical, -1.10 mm, 4.20 mm in the distoangular group. There were significant differences in vertical (P < 0.05), but not in buccolingual (P>0.05). The height and width ratios of distances on the mandibular third molar were 47.1 %, 36.1 % in the mesioangular, 47.4%, 34.4% in the horizontal, 37.0%, 46.7% in the vertical, 40.9%, 37.4% in the distoangular group. There were significant differences between the mesioangular and the vertical group, and the horizontal and the vertical group in height ratio (P < 0.05), and also between the mesioangular and the vertical group in width ratio (P < 0.05). The height and width ratios of distances on the mandibular canal showed no significant differences between groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion : The mesioangular group showed the nearest distance between the mandibular third molar and the mandibular canal vertically. The root apex of the mandibular third molar was positioned more buccally in the vertical group than in the mesioangular group.