Mental Foramen Position, Shape, Continuity, and Symmetry Among Malocclusion Patients: A Radiographic Study

Many dental treatments need exact knowledge of the anatomical location of the mental foramen (MF). This retrospective research uses orthopantomograph (OPG) to assess the MF of orthodontic patients in Saudi Arabia and their position, symmetry, shape, and connectivity.

One hundred and eighty panoramic radiographs of patients having orthodontic treatment were analyzed for the location, form, symmetry, as well as bilateral preservation of the MF. The patients were of varied ages, genders, and degrees of malocclusion and were divided into three classes: Class I (60), Class II (60), and Class III (60). Chi-squared tests and other descriptive statistics were employed to examine the data for statistical significance.

When looking at the right side of the mouth, the most frequent location for MF was position 3 (between the apexes of the first and second premolars; 50.6%), whereas on the left side, it was location 4 (near the apical of the second premolar; 47.2%). The most typical form of MF has an irregular shape. MF location on the left side and continuity types differed significantly across malocclusion groups (p<0.05).

OPGs of Saudi orthodontic patients demonstrated a significant variability of position and continuity of the MF across different classes of malocclusion. The third most frequent position was between the first and second premolars, while the shape of MF showed variation across the age of the patients. Hence, this precise comprehension of the anatomical and morphological diversity of the MF is of utmost significance for dental professionals.