OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to elicit the amount of safety margin necessary around the ameloblastic lesion in view of preventing further recurrence.
METHODS: The study consisted of 25 cases of mandibular ameloblastoma. Diagnosis was based on clinical and radiological analysis and confirmed by histopathological report. An incisional biopsy was done preoperatively to confirm the diagnosis. Segmental resection was planned for all the cases. After the resection, postoperative panoramic radiograph of the specimen was taken followed by histopathological examination of its margin to detect tumor cell infiltration.
CONCLUSIONS: In all our cases, the ameloblastoma was infiltrating in nature. A follow-up period of 10 years showed neither recurrence nor implant failure. In our study, we conclude our safe margin for infiltrating variant of ameloblastoma based on histopathological report of the resected specimen.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to present a series of 46 cases of ameloblastoma-38 in mandible and 8 in maxilla treated in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur during 1997-2006 with emphasis on various treatment modalities used in treating different types of ameloblastoma and how to define the safe margin for different clinical and histopathological types of ameloblastoma with their follow-up.
METHODS: Confirmation of lesion done by incisional biopsy upon which treatment plan was decided and if resection is done then section was studied for amount of infiltration in adjoining bone histopathologically.
RESULTS: In a follow-up period of 1-9 years recurrence was observed in six cases, two in patients treated with enucleation and curettage, three in patients treated with segmental resection and one in patient with peripheral ameloblastoma treated with soft tissue resection.
CONCLUSIONS: From this study we conclude that depending upon the histopathological type different amount of adjoining bone is resected to get the safe margin and based upon the result it is recommended to remain a bit aggressive in maxillary lesions.