O perfil facial e a prevalência de canal mandibular bífido

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of bifid mandibular canals (BMC) and correlate them with facial types (FT), using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Material and method: The sample, composed of 180 hemimandibles (90 patients), was determined by FT, sex, age and side of the face. The FT was determined using the Ricketts VERT index. The CBCT were divided into three groups according to the TF: 30 brachyfacial, 30 mesofacial and 30 dolichofacial patients. The BMC were classified according to Naitoh et al. (2011). The images were classified and evaluated by a trained radiologist, using the Dolphin Imaging® 11.0 and XoranCat® software. The groups were compared according to sex, affected side and BMC class by the Qui-square test or Fisher’s exact test; the influence of age compared to sex and presence of BMC by the Mann-Whitney test and compared to FT by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The relationship between patient sex and presence of BMC was analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. A 5% significance level was considered in all tests. Results: The proportion of patients with BMC in the sample was 14.4%, with the most frequent type C alveolar (53.8%), followed by types D retromolar (15.4%), E lingual (15.4%) and F mandible base (7.7%). When CMB was present, there was no side predominance and patient’s sex influence. Conclusion: FT does not affect the presence or type of BMC.