Position and number of mental foramen in dry human mandibles: Comparison with respect to sides and sexes

Abstract Introduction Mental foramen of mandible has been found to vary in its position, number and distance from the surrounding bony landmarks. This variation occurs with populations as well as with factors like ethnicity, age, sex and sides. Knowledge of this variation is important for localisation of the mental nerve during surgeries in this region. This study was undertaken to document the variations in number and location of mental foramen with sexes and sides in dry mandibles of Indian origin. Materials and methods The sample consisted of 83 dried mandibles of known sex, 53 males and 30 females. The position of mental foramens was measured in relation to mandibular teeth and its distance from three bony landmarks—mental symphysis, alveolar border and lower border of mandible. Incidence of accessory mental foramen was noted. Results The most common position of mental foramen was at the apex of the second premolar (48.8%) and the next was between the apices of the first and second premolars (30.1%), this pattern being the same for both sides of both sexes with no statistical significance. Accessory mental foramen was found in 7.22% sides, bilaterally in 4.81% and was more common in males and in the right side. Mean lower border, alveolar border and mental symphysis were 12.60 ± 1.63, 12.39 ± 2.32 and 26.47 ± 2.54 mm respectively, with all values being significantly higher for males; differences between the sides were statistically insignificant. Conclusion The current study provides insight into the location and number of mental foramen in Indians and explains the discrepancy seen among findings of earlier studies.