Radiographic Study for Assessing the Type of Mental Foramen by Using OPG

Objectives To determine the approximate horizontal and vertical location of the Mental Foramen in South Indian Population by using panoramic radiographs. Material and Methods This study analysed 100 orthopantomograms from Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital. The analysis was performed in R Statistical package version 4.1.1 (10-08-2021 release) from the R Core Team (2021) software tool, which allowed for the determination of location, shape, and ratio in males and females. Results Most of the Mental Foramen (MF) analysed were positioned 3.96mm away from the apex of the first mandibular premolar horizontally and vertically located 7.808 mm away from the lower border of the mandible. Oval shaped Mental Foramen was seen in 52% of cases, round shaped MF is seen 34% of cases and irregular MF is seen 14% of cases. Conclusion The Mental Foramen (MF) is most commonly horizontally located 3.96mm away from the apex of the first mandibular premolar and vertically located 7.808 mm away from the lower border of the mandible.