Background/purpose An awareness of mandibular canal variations may help prevent complications due to nerve damage that can occur during surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the variations of mandibular canal distribution and frequency via cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), retrospectively, in a Turkish population. Materials and methods The study population comprises 500 (250 female, 250 male) randomly selected participants between the ages of 14 and 79 years. The study was conducted in Marmara University, Faculty of Dentistry, in the Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. The distribution and frequency of mandibular canal variations were evaluated using the Naitoh classification, which includes retromolar canal, forward canal, dental canal, and buccolingual canal. The trifid canal was also included in this study. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS statistics 20.0. The data were then compared based on age group and gender. Results Bifid mandibular canals (BMCs) were found in 200 (40%) of the 500 subjects, and in 248 of the 1000 sides (24.8%). Mandibular canal variations were observed in 71.5% of patients on the right side, 52.5% on left side and 24% bilaterally. The forward canal was the most common type (48.8%), followed by the retromolar canal (26.2%), the dental canal (12.9%), the buccolingual canal (9.7%), and the trifid canal (2.4%). Conclusion BMCs were detected at a high rate in the Turkish subpopulation. Moreover, CBCT appears to be an appropriate method to assess the entity and shape of BMCs.

Objective:The styloid process (SP) is a bony projection, located just anterior to the stylomastoid foramen, the normal length of which is approximately 20–30 mm. The length of SP when exceeds 30 mm it is said to “elongated.” The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the prevalence of elongated SP (ESP) by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination in Turkish subpopulation and its relation to gender and age.Materials and Methods:This study analyzed CBCT of 1000 patients who were randomly selected to participate and were aged from 14 to 78 years. Any radiograph with questionable SP was excluded from the study. The apparent length and thickness of the SP were measured by two dental and maxillofacial radiologists. The ESP was classified with radiographic appearance-based morphology of elongation. The data were analyzed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0.Results:The mean age of patients was 42.49 ± 14.83 years. The length of SP was measured over 30 mm in 151 patients (15.1%). A total of 151 CBCT showed ESP, of which 87 (57.6%) were noticed in males and 64 (42.4%) in female patients. The length of right-sided SP ranged from 30.05 to 85.49 mm and left-sided SP from 30.14 to 83.72 mm.Conclusion:CBCT is a valuable diagnostic imaging tool which makes accurate length measurements. It is important for the clinicians to be aware of natural variations of the SP whose clinical importance is not well understood.

Objectives:The aim of the study was to assess whether there was any relation between age, gender and body mass index (BMI) and nodal forms and vascular type in healthy Turkish adults.Study Design:Three neck areas in 25 wholesome patients who were aged from 21 to 58 years, were assessed by gray-scale and color doppler ultrasonography. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed using an ALOKA Prosound Alpha 6 (Hitachi Aloka Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan) and the images were obtained with a 7.2 MHz linear array transducer. Hajek’s categorization of cervical lymph nodes for sonographic analysis was used. The ultrasonographic characteristics like size, shape, short axis/long axis ratio (S/L), hilum were evaluated. Ultrasonographic examinations of upper cervical, submandibular and submental lymph nodes were carried out and recorded.Results:The mean age of patients was 31.84±12.80 years. The ratios of lymph nodes with avascular pattern were 96% for the upper cervical lymph area, 92% for the submandibular area and 96% for the submental area. The lowest and highest ratios of short to long axis diameter (S/L) were calculated as 0.18 and 0.66 in all areas. Most normal nodes in the study were oval with an S/L ratio of less than 0.5.Conclusion:Normal cervical lymph nodes are oval, with an unsharp border and an echogenic hilum but no relation between the age, gender and BMI. Also ultrasonography is an applicable imaging modality for the examination of cervical lymph nodes. However, the deficiency in the number of patients might not allow to generalise our findings to the general populations.

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of group Turkish patients with chronic oral mucosal diseases by chronic oral mucosal diseases questionnaires (COMDQ).Materials and Methods:Eighty patients with chronic oral mucosal diseases were participated in the study. A detailed medical history of each patient was taken, and all the COMDQ questions, which were translated from English version, were filled out. The data were analyzed with the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Statistics 22.0.Results:The mean ages of patients were 48.91 ± 13.36 years. Of the total 80 cases of chronic oral mucosal diseases identified 52 (65%) were female and 28 (35%) male. The standardized mean scores for COMDQ were 1.72 ± 1.11 for “pain and functional limitation,” 1.09 ± 0.94 for “medication and treatment,” 2.31 ± 1.06 for “social and emotional,” and 2.27 ± 0.83 for “patient support,” respectively.Conclusions:The results of this study indicate that the Turkish version of the COMDQ has the profitable psychometric peculiarity and comfortable to patients with chronic oral mucosal diseases in Turkey.

This study aimed to investigate the possibility of age and sex determination using bimastoid diameter with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). This retrospective study investigated 100 female and 100 male patients aged 18-83 years (mean age: 45.55±16.28 years). To measure bimastoid diameter, the appropriate image was chosen from sagittal, coronal, and axial images of CBCT in which the measurement points could be best detected. The distance between the points of the mastoid process was measured using three-dimensional coronal reconstruction. The mean bimastoid breadth was 106.12±6.22mm. The bimastoid diameter in male cases was higher than that in female cases (110.69±4.53mm vs. 101.65±4.00mm). There was no significant difference in bimastoid breadth with advancing age. For sex determination, morphometric measurements of bimastoid diameter ensured a high rate of dimorphism in the Turkish subpopulation. CBCT morphometric analysis may be reliable and convenient for evaluating sex and may be recommended to compare population data.