Bifurcation of the inferior dental nerve canal: an anatomical study

The aims of this study were to find the incidence of bifurcation of the inferior dental nerve (IDN) canal, to describe the characteristics of this variant, and to examine the sensitivity and specificity of dental panoramic tomography to identify it. We classified bifurcations by size and position relative to the main canal and the lower third molar using cone-beam computed tomography (CT) and dental panoramic tomography. In our study of 281 patients, 106 (38%) had bifurcations, and in one quarter, these were classified as large accessory canals. Bifurcations were most commonly found posterior to the lower third molar (n = 64, 57%) or within 2 mm of the roots of the third molar (n = 40, 38%). The sensitivity and specificity of dental panoramic tomography to identify all bifurcations was 11% (95% CI: 5.67 to 17.97) and 91% (95% CI: 85.58 to 94.68), respectively; this was 33% (95% CI: 15.63 to 55.32) and 94% (95% CI: 90.34 to 96.50), respectively, for large bifurcations. Our use of cone-beam CT suggested an incidence of bifid canals of 38%, with a variation in size and distribution in relation to the lower third molar. It also showed that the sensitivity of panoramic radiography to identify them was poor.