title: Assessment of the appearance, location and morphology of mandibular lingual foramina using cone beam computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the appearance, location and morphology of mandibular lingual foramina (MLF) in the Chinese Han population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  CBCT images of the mandibular body in 200 patients (103 female patients and 97 male patients, age range 10-70 years) were retrospectively analysed to identify MLF. The canal number, location and direction were assessed. Additionally, the diameter of the lingual foramen, the distance between the alveolar crest and the lingual foramen, the distance between the tooth apex and the lingual foramen and the distance from the mandibular border to the lingual foramen were examined to describe the MLF characteristics. Gender and age differences with respect to foramina were also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CBCT can be utilized to visualise lingual foramina. In this study, 683 lingual foramina were detected in 200 CBCT scans, with 538 (78.77%) being ≤1 mm in diameter and 145 (21.23%) being >1 mm. In total, 85.07% of MLF are median lingual canals (MLC) and 14.93% are lateral lingual canals (LLC). Two typical types of lingual foramina were identified according to their relationship with the tooth apex. Most lingual foramina (74.08%) were found below the tooth apex, and those above the tooth apex were much smaller in diameter. Male patients had statistically larger lingual foramina. The distance between the lingual foramen and the tooth apex changed with increasing age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of the presence, position and size of lingual foramina is important before performing a surgical procedure. Careful implant-prosthetic treatment planning is particularly important in male and/or elderly patients because of the structural characteristics of their lingual foramina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.|Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuejiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.|Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Junqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.|Department of Prosthodontics, Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.|Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.|Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.|Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University Luzhou, Luzhou, PR China. 15770102@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009060:Mouth Floor / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Lingual foramen; cone-beam CT; lingual vascular canal; mandible