Position and Incidence of the Mental Foramen in the 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Abstract

Objectives: Paralysis of the mental nerve is one of the principle surgical complications when placing implants in the mental foramen region. Therefore, identifying the mental foramen is crucial for surgical procedures.Methods: This study was conducted using 3-dimentional (3D) computed tomographic (CT) analysis on both sexes. The mental foramen was present in 224 CT images of bilateral mandibles of Taiwanese patients. The criteria for including foramen in this study are as follows: (1) age and sex; (2) no missing mandibular teeth of the canine to first molar regions; (3) no pathologic findings between the teeth and the mandibular mental foramen; and (4) no participants with altered tooth positions from the original location, caused by orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment.Results: The findings indicated that the most common position for the mental foramen was in line with the longitudinal axis of the second premolar (54.9%), followed by a location between the second premolar and the first molar (22.3%). The right and left foramen were bilaterally symmetrical in the recorded position (61.6%). The mental foramen was symmetrically located on the right and left sides. No significant difference existed between men and women in position.Conclusion: The mental foramen was most often in line with the second premolar, detected using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Knowledge of the mental foramen position is crucial for placing osseointegrated implants in the mandibular second premolar region.