Position of the Mental Foramen in Panoramic Radiography and Its Relationship to Age in a Selected Iranian Population

The position of the mental foramen is critical for surgery and local anesthesia. This study was conducted to assess the position of the mental foramen and its relationship to age in a selected Iranian population. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Three hundred panoramic radiographs were assessed. Three variables were assessed for each radiograph: anterior-posterior position, superior-inferior position, and radiographic appearance. The position and appearance of the mental foramen were recorded according to gender and age. The results were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Considering the anterior-posterior position, the mental foramina were located in the following positions: between premolars (41.5%), at the apex of the second premolars (31.7%), in the posterior area of the second premolars (19.2%), in the anterior area of the first premolars (4.3%), and at the apex of the first premolars (3.3%).The superior-inferior position of the mental foramina were below, above, and at the level of the apices of the premolars in 78.8%, 2.5%, and 18.7% of cases, respectively. The appearance of the mental foramen was continuous in relation to the mandibular canal in 55.9% of cases, while it was separated, diffuse, and unidentified in 29.5%, 9.7%, and 5% of cases, respectively. Age was found to affect the position and appearance of mental foramen. The mental foramina were most commonly located between the first and second premolars and below the apex. A continuous appearance was the most common appearance for the mental foramen, which was similar in males and females.