Characteristics of Mental Foramen in the Mandibular Interforaminal Region at Patients Living in the Eastern Anatolia Region: a Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study

Abstract

Objectives: The location and configuration of the mandibular canal and mental foramen are important considerations in surgical procedures involving the mandible, such as in dental implant treatment, and in sagittal split ramus osteotomy. The purpose of the present investigation was to clarify the occurrence, location and variations of the mental foramen using cone beam computerized tomography images of the Eastern Anatolia Region people. Materials and Methods: In this study the Yüzüncü Yil University Faculty of Dentistry's 742 patients were evaluated using computerized tomography in order to plan dental implant treatment, to determine impacted teeth positions, or to evaluate pathologic lesions. The mean distances between the mental foramen and the inferior, superior, and lingual mandibular borders were measured using cone beam computerized tomography. Also, the mental foramen's mean meziodistal diameter and mean apicocoronal diameter were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.1, with the ages ranging from 20 years old to 60 years old. Mental foramen measurements were evaluated on the mandibular cross-sectional images using cone beam computerized tomography computer software. The mean distance was 5.85mm between the mandibular inferior border and mental foramen;11.24mm between the mandibular superior border and mental foramen and 3.44mm between the mandibular lingual border and mental foramen. The mental foramen's mesiodistal diameter was measured to be 2.95mm and the apicocoronal diameter was 2.78mm.Conclusions: This study showed that the distance between the mental foramen and the mandibular inferior, superior, and lingual borders varies from patient to patient. Indicating the mental foramen's location accurately minimizes complications such as paralysis and hemorrhaging which can occur during periodontal surgery or implant surgery, and thus provides better results during and after surgery. Cone beam computerized tomography is an effective diagnostic technique for localizing the mental foramen. This is a study to determine the Eastern Anatolian Region population's mental foramen location.