evaluation of horizontal position of mental foramina in the panoramic radiograph of patients refferd to radiology department of isfahan dental school

introduction: position of the mental foramen is important both when administering regional anesthesia and performing surgery in the mandible. because of this anatomical structure's importance on one band, and the variations seen in its position in different ethnic groups, this study was designed to evaluate of the for a men's horizental position in panoramic radiographs of iranian patients taken in the isfahan dental school. materials and methods: one hundred fifty panoramic radiographs of iranian were stured. the mental foramen were evaluated in relation to the premolars in the radiographs. data was analyzed using the spss program. results: one hundred fifty radiographs were assessed (64 males; 87 females). the most frequency position diagnosed for the foramen was position 4(apical of the second mandibular premolar) with approximately 56% frequency. conclusion: according to the present study, the most frequency position for the mental foramen in iranian ethnic groups is the apical of the second premolar. the current finding degrading the insignificancy of the patient’s gender and age effect on the foramen's position are in agreement with previous reports.