Archives

Introduction: Mental foramen is a small opening located bilaterally in the anterolateral aspect of mandible which transmits mental nerve and vessels. Additional foramina located in the vicinity of mental foramen are termed as accessory mental foramina. The knowledge about their presence is useful to avoid post-operative complications (bleeding and sensory disturbances) during implant placement and other dental procedures.

Objective: To establish the incidence, location, shape of accessory mental foramina, and its relation to mental foramen.

Materials and Method: One hundred human dry mandibles of unknown age and sex were selected randomly. Incidence, shape, location and distance of accessory mental foramina with respect to mental foramen were determined.

Result: Out of 100 mandibles (200 sides), accessory mental foramina were present in seven (7%) mandibles with variable locations, mainly below the mesial root of first molar was seen in three (42.85%) mandibles, followed by below second premolar in two (28.6%) mandibles. The accessory mental foramina were round in shape in most of the mandibles (5, 71.42%). Mean distance of AMF from mental foramen was 7.29 mm.

Conclusion: The knowledge about incidence and location of accessory mental foramina guide the surgeon to develop safe technique to avoid injury to the neurovascular bundle.

Accessory mental foramen; accessory mental nerve; dental implant; mental foramen; mental nerve; Nepal.