The Inferior Alveolar Canal is ~ 3 mm thick.  To avoid nerve injury from implant (green box), there should be an extra 2 mm clearance (Fig.2). 

Infiltration anesthesia is administered first; a 10 mm osteotomy is made initially (Fig.3).  The clearance appears to be not enough.  The length of the osteotomy is reduced to 8 mm.

When a PA shows one border of the Canal, it is most likely the inferior one (arrowheads).

Non-Immediate Implant in Lower 2nd Molar Last Next

Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 05/31/2015, last revision 11/20/2018