Liverdos Kyriakos, Delantoni A, Papadimitriou DP.
11th Congress Of the Balkan Stomatological Society, 11-14 May 2006, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The mental foramen can be found in various locations, ranging from the root of the first lower premolar to the roots of the first molar. The anterior loop is described as the mental canal, which rises from the mandibular canal and runs outward, upward, and backward to open at the mental foramen. The knowledge of the location of the mental foramen and the existence of an anterior loop is important for successful administration of local anesthesia, for surgical (including implantology), operative, or diagnostic purposes.
Aim: To evaluate the radiographic appearance of the position of the mental foramen and the presence of an anterior loop of the mandibular canal in a Greek population.
Materials and Methods: 1000 panoramic radiographs of Greek adult patients were interpreted. The course of the mandibular canal and the position of the mental foramen were evaluated.
Results: The most frequent position of the mental foramen was under the second lower premolar (52.9%) followed by the one between the two premolars (32.3%). An anterior loop of the mandibular canal was present in 29.8% of the radiographs observed.
Conclusions: In panoramic radiographs of Greek adults the most frequent position of the mental foramen is in line with the second lower premolar. The anterior loop is present in a significant percentage of the population and demands attention during presurgical evaluation for implant placement. Our results are in agreement with the results of similar studies which concerned other ethnic groups.
