Descriptive and Morphometrical Analyses of Human Mental Foramen Using CBCT Technique

Abstract

The mental foramen (MF) is a bilateral, round or oval hole situated along the buccal cortical plate on the mandibular body's outer surface below the premolars region. A total of 82 patients (164 hemi-mandibular CBCT scans) were randomly selected from different specialized dental centers in Iraq. These cases were obtained during the extended period from September 2023 to March 2024. 
The results of this study revealed that for the size of the MF, the mean VD was 3.459 mm in males and 2.995 mm in females. While the mean  HD  was  3.521  mm in  males  and  3.126  mm  in  their  female counterparts. The mean MF-AC distance was 15.219 mm in males and 13.202 mm in females. While the mean MF-IBM distance was 12.051 mm in  males  and  10.757  mm  in  their  female  counterparts.  For  all  the parameters, male patients had significantly higher values than female patients. The MF was most frequently round in 105 (64.02%) scans, followed by H-oval in 37 (22.56%) scans. For the H position, H4 (73.17%) was the most common, followed by H3 (15.24%). The most common V position was V3 (90.24%), then V2 (7.32%).
In conclusion, the mean size of the MF and the mean MF-AC and MF- IBM distances were significantly greater in males than females. The MF was most frequently round in 105 (64.02%) scans. The most prevalent H position of the MF was H4. For the V position, V3 was the most frequent