A Clinical and Anatomical Study of Mental Foramen in Thais

The development of the surgical techniques in the mandible expressed many interest in clinical anatomy of the mental foramen (MF). Objective: to determine the morphology and the precise location of the MF relative to the surgical landmarks. Method: Seventy-two Thai mandibles (47 male, 25 female) were studied by a combination of direct inspection and computerized imaging analysis. Results: Mean horizontal width of MF was 2.7 ± 0.7 mm and its usual direction of exit was in a posterosuperior direction. In the horizontal plane, MF located approximately 1/3 of the distance between the symphysis menti and the posterior border of the mandibular ramus. In the vertical plane, it was in the midpoint of the distance between the lower border of the mandible and the alveolar bone crest. The most common location of the MF was inferior to the crown of the second premolar and approximately 3/5 of the distance from the buccal cusp tip of this tooth to the inferior border of the mandible. Conclusion: Our results may assist surgeons to localize important maxillofacial neurovascular bundles passing through the MF in avoiding the complication from local anesthetic, surgical and other invasive procedures. This study was supported by the Dental Research Fund, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University.