Retrospective study of the bone morphology in the posterior mandibular region. Evaluation of the prevalence and the degree of lingual concavity and their possible complications

BACKGROUND In order to choose the appropriate implant size and to prevent complications, an oral surgeon must know the size and shape of the mandible. In the posterior mandibular region, a lingual undercut is often found and could represent a difficulty hard to manage if a lingual or buccal perforation occur. A large series of computed tomography (CT) images of the mandibular first molar was evaluated and the bone morphology, the prevalence and the degree of the lingual concavity in the first molar region were studied. MATERIAL AND METHODS One hundred and fifty-one computed tomography (CT) examinations of patients were retrospectively evaluated to determine anatomical variations in bone morphology in the submandibular fossa region. RESULTS A total of 151 subjects were included, consisting of 64 males (M) (42.4%) and 87 females (F) (57.6%). The under-cut type ridge was present in 64.2% of the cases. The concavity angle was 66.6 ± 8.9° (M) and 71.6 ± 8.4° (F) and the linear concavity depth 4.5 ± 2.3 mm (M) and 3.1 ± 1.7 mm (F) (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Mandibles with any lingual concavity present a potential increased risk of lingual cortical perforation during implant placement surgery. CT imaging allows characterizing the anatomy of the submandibular fossa and provides other important information for the preoperative assessment of the posterior mandible for dental implants placement.