Radiographic location of mental foramen in a randomly selected population of Maharashtra

Abstract

Introduction: Mental foramen is usually the anterior limit of inferior dental canal, which is located in the body of mandible between the inferior and alveolar margins. The accurate identification of the position of the mental foramen is important for both diagnostic and clinical procedures on the mandible. Objectives: To determine the most common type and position of the mental foramen in a selected population of Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: A total of 448 orthopantomographs showing mental foramen bilaterally were considered for this study. The type, position, and symmetry of mental foramen on contralateral sides were noted in both the gender. Frequency and percentage of type, position, and symmetry of mental foramen were calculated statistically. Results: The majority of mental foramen were of separate type ( n = 554, 61.8%) followed by the continuous type ( n = 342, 38.2%). The most common position of the mental foramen was position 4 ( n = 554, 61.8%) followed by position 3 ( n = 289, 32.2%). The mental foramen were bilaterally symmetrical ( n = 246, 54.9%) and asymmetrical ( n = 202, 45.1%) in radiographs. Significant differences were observed in position between the right and left side in both the gender. Conclusion: The separate type of mental foramen was most predominant and the most common location was position 4 followed by position 3.