MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF TOPOGRAPHIC VARIABILITY OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT MANDIBULAR CANALS IN CASE OF LOSS OF THE MASTICATORY TEETH

Abstract

The aim: To study the topographic variability of the left and right mandibular canals in case of bone atrophy caused by the loss of the masticatory teeth. Materials and methods: 136 digital scans were selected for morphometric analysis, 68 for each side taken with the Vatech PaX-i 3D Green extra-oral radiography system. The readout of absolute morphometric values, laying the left and right MC was performed in the projection of 3.7, 3.6, 4.6, 4.7 teeth using standardized Ez3D-I software. Results: The alveolar part is characterized by distance to the alveolar ridge, and primarily exposed to pronounced atrophic processes of bone tissue. Distance to the lingual ridge directly proportionally indicates the morphological transposition vector of the mandibular canals for the distance to the buccal ridge, by the same length to its reduction. Morphometric analysis on a short toothless segment determines the variability of laying the mandibular canals but it is characterized by constant regular values of the ridge of the mandibular base. Conclusions: Dentition defects, moving towards the missing teeth, lead to a decrease in the biophysical stimulus on bone tissue, causing pronounced morphological changes with the loss of significant volume and restructuring of its trabecular layer, which synchronously affects the topographic variability of the left and right MC.