Mental Foramen: An Eagle Eye

Abstract

The mental foramen is a strategically important landmark during osteotomy procedures in implantology. Its location and the possibility that an anterior loop of the mental nerve may be present mesial to the mental foramen needs to be considered before implant surgery to avoid mental nerve injury. The aim of the study was to provide anatomical information on the position, morphological variations and incidence of mental foramen and accessory mental foramen as they are important for dental surgeons, anaesthetists in nerve blocking and surgical procedures to avoid injury to neurovascular bundle in mental foramen area. The present study was conducted using 120 dried human mandibles of both sexes. Size, shape and position of mental foramen and accessory mental foramen were determined using digital vernier caliper. Mental foramen was present in all observed mandibles and it was bilateral in position. Accessory mental foramen was present in 8 mandibles and was unilateral in position.The knowledge about variation in size, shape and position of mental foramen and presence of accessory mental foramen may be helpful to the dental surgeons to achieve fullanesthesia and it’s a guide for the implantologist to proceed with placing implant without damaging the nerve.