An accessory mental foramen: a case report

The aim of this article is to present a case of an accessory mental foramen (AMF).

The mental foramen is an important anatomical structure of particular importance in local anesthesia and surgical procedures in terms of achieving effective mandibular nerve blocks and avoiding injuries to the neurovascular bundles. Although rare, multiple mental foramina have been described in humans. In these cases one foramen is termed the mental foramen and the others are referred to as an AMF.

A 62-year-old woman presented for a routine dental examination. In addition to the normal radiographic image of the mental foramen, periapical radiographs of the left mandibular premolar and molar region revealed a round-shaped radiolucency with distinct borders along with an inferior extension below the apex of the mesial root of the first molar. This image was considered to be an AMF.

Although no surgical operation was planned, the patient was informed about the existence and importance of the anatomical variation with regard to the need for local anesthesia, diagnosis of periapical disease, and the prevention of nerve damage during surgery in that area of the mandible.