The Mental Foramen Position in Dentate and Edentulous Brazilian's Mandible

The mental foramen has been reported to vary in position in different ethnic groups. Repeated failures during injections and operative procedures involving the mental foramen suggest the presence of local differences in a given population. The aim of the present study was to determine the position of mental foramen (MF) in a sample of one hundred seventy Brazilian adult dry mandible, being 79 edentulous and 91 dentate. The assessment was made, having as it referential, the base of the mandible (BM) and the mandibular symphisis (MS), whereby the comparisons were carried out considering genders, the mandible side (left or right), and dentition (dentate or edentulous). The statistical analysis was performed using multifatorial ANO VA (alpha=5%). It was found the male mandibles presented higher valúes of MF-MS than the female ones and the dentate presented higher valúes when compared to edentulous ones (p<0.0001). No difference was observed between left and right sides (p=0.2990), as well, as concerning to gender (p=0.152). The most frequent position of MF was in the long axes of the second premolar for male (p<0.0001) and female (p=0.0004). No statistical difference (p>0.05) was found between right and left sides comparing male to female. It was concluded the position of the mental foramen is mainly altered in edentulous subjects as it is consider a symmetric structure in Brazilian population and its most common position is in the long axes of the secondpremolar.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Mendonca Amorim,Maise, Bevilacqua Prado,Felippe, Bicalho Borini,Cynthia, Oliveira Bittar,Telmo, Volpato,Maria Cristina, Groppo,Francisco Carlos, Ferreira Caria,Paulo Henrique
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedad Chilena de Anatomía 2008
Online Access:	http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-95022008000400033
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