Mental Foramen: A Comprehensive Review of The Distal Exit of The Mandibular Canal
https://doi.org/10.21315/aos2025.2002.RV01
- Author:
Wei Cheong Ngeow
1
;
Yee Fan Choon
2
;
Krishan Sarna
3
Author Information
1. Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2. Faculty of Dentistry, Lincoln University, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
3. Department of Dentistry, Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197- 01000, Kenya
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Accessory mental foramen;
inferior alveolar nerve;
mental foramen;
mental nerve;
variations of the mental foramen
- From:
Archives of Orofacial Sciences
2025;20(2):69-91
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Mental Foramen: A Comprehensive Review of The Distal Exit of The Mandibular Canal:The mental foramen (MF), averaging 4.6 mm × 3.4 mm, is a vital anatomical landmark with significant
implications for dental and surgical procedures. Its location, dimensions, and relationship to the inferior
alveolar nerve (IAN) are critical in reducing complications such as nerve injury and treatment failure.
A literature review of studies published between 1970 and 2024 explored the MF’s anatomy, imaging,
and clinical outcomes. This review examines variations in the MF’s shape, size, number, and position,
emphasising their clinical relevance. The MF may occasionally be radiographically or clinically absent
and is not always a single opening. Understanding its variability is crucial for accurate localisation. This
narrative review summarises that, despite an increasing amount of research, human variability influences the shape, size, and location of the mandible. Even within the same ethnicity, different studies have produced different locations and appearances in terms of its shape. Nevertheless, more Western studies generally reported the MF being located between the first and second premolars, and more Asian-centric studies reported it as closer to the second premolar. Accessory mental foramina (AMF), on the other hand, vary between ethnic groups, with a higher prevalence reported among non-Caucasians. Most AMFs were found to be unilateral, occurring more on the right side of the mandible. Bilateral AMFs have also been reported to range from 0% to 33.3%. On the contrary, MF may be missing in between 0.7% and 2.4% of the unilateral mandible.
- Full text:2026060915375107821Mental Foramen.pdf
