Mandibular canal

The mandibular canal is an important bony canal inside the mandible or the lower jawbone, running from the mandibular foramen on the ramus's inner (medial) aspect to the mental foramen on the anterolateral surface of the body of the mandible.

The mandibular canal is home to the inferior alveolar nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve, and the inferior alveolar blood vessels. These structures enter the canal via the mandibular foramen, travel through the canal, and provide sensory innervation to the lower teeth (molars, premolars, and canines) and gums. Before exiting through the mental foramen, the nerve splits off a mental branch that innervates the skin of the lower lip and chin area. The part of the nerve that continues inside the mandible after this point is known as the incisive nerve and vessels, which supply the incisor teeth and the surrounding bone.