{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T12:16:07Z","timestamp":1793276167440,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,17]],"date-time":"2025-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752710400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"VICTOR BABES UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY TIMI\u0218OARA"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: The extraction of mandibular third molars poses challenges due to their proximity to the mandibular canal and risk of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury. Accurate preoperative evaluation is essential to minimize complications. This study assessed the three-dimensional positional relationship between the mandibular canal and lower third molars using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), aiming to identify anatomical positions associated with increased surgical risk. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 253 CBCT scans of fully developed lower third molars. The mandibular canal position was classified as apical (Class I), buccal (Class II), lingual (Class III), or interradicular (Class IV). Contact was categorized as no contact, contact with a complete or defective white line, or canal penetration. In no-contact cases, the apex\u2013canal distance was measured. Statistical analysis included descriptive and contingency analyses using the Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio test. Results: Class I was most common (70.8%) and presented the lowest risk, while Classes III and IV showed significantly higher frequencies of canal contact or penetration. Class II exhibited shorter distances even in no-contact cases, suggesting residual risk. Statistically significant associations were found between canal position and both contact type (p &lt; 0.001) and apex\u2013canal distance (p = 0.046). Conclusions: CBCT offers valuable insight into the anatomical relationship between third molars and the mandibular canal. High-risk positions\u2014particularly lingual and interradicular\u2014require careful assessment. Even in the absence of contact, close proximity may pose a risk and should inform surgical planning.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina61071291","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,18]],"date-time":"2025-07-18T10:10:38Z","timestamp":1752833438000},"page":"1291","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["The Positional Relationship Between the Mandibular Canal and the Lower Third Molar Determined on Cone-Beam Computed Tomography"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"61","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9670-1079","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Horatiu","family":"Urechescu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ancuta","family":"Banu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marius","family":"Pricop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felicia","family":"Streian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alisia","family":"Pricop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Dental Medicine Using Conventional and Alternative Technologies, School of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2672-1677","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristiana","family":"Cuzic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"TADERP Research Center\u2014Advanced and Digital Techniques for Endodontic, Restorative and Prosthetic Treatment, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cVictor Babes\u201d, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9563476","DOI":"10.1155\/2023\/9563476","article-title":"Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Analysis on the Relationship between the Mandibular Third Molar and the Position of the Mandibular Canal in Koreans from the Yanbian Area and the Han People","volume":"2023","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. 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