BIFURCATION OF THE MANDIBULAR CANAL LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

When the mandibular canal presents a second branch, it is called bifurcated. Although bifurcation of the mandibular canal is considered a rare variation, it should be carefully evaluated. Usually, the mandibular canal appears on orthopantomographs as a tunnel enclosed in bone, bordered by radiopaque borders, extending from the mandibular foramen to the mental foramen, and is usually located directly below the root apices of the mandibular teeth. Through the present work, concepts, risks and particularities of the bifurcated mandibular canal were clarified. The database used for the theme was Google Scholar and SciELO, and used the descriptors in health sciences (DeCS): "Mandible" "Mandibular Canal" and "Anatomical Variation". At the conclusion of the study it was possible to realize the importance of knowing the variations of the mandibular canal, since recognizing the abnormal structures enables the prevention of possible complications that, in certain cases, can bring fatal consequences during treatments in the mandibular region.