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Assessment of morphological and anatomical characteristics of mental foramen using cone beam computed tomography

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the shape, position, vertical height, surrounding bone characteristics, and opening angle of mental foramen (MF) using dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Methods

A retrospective study was performed on 663 patients. CBCT records analyzed for the shape, position, and surrounding bone measurements of the MF using Simplant 3D software (Hasselt, Belgium). Opening angle of MF was also assessed. Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were employed to test significant differences between parameters, genders and ages.

Results

All mental foramina were visualized. Regarding location, 49.2% of the MFs were located between first and second premolars, 7.7 distal and 39.7% coincident to the apex of the mandibular second premolar. The mean MF opening angle was 45.4° on the right side, and 45.9° on the left. There were no statistically differences between gender groups with regard to the opening angle degrees.

Conclusions

This study may provide useful information about variations in the position, shape and size, angle of mental foramen, which may help the practitioners to perform safer mental nerve blocks and surgical procedures.

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Acknowledgements

This research study was partially supported by Implant Dentistry Research and Education Foundation, International Congress of Oral Implantologists, New Jersey, USA.

Funding

We declare that we have no financial and personal relationship with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Samir Goyushov

  2. Private Practice Limited to Endodontics, Ankara, Turkey

    Melek Didem Tözüm

  3. Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Samir Goyushov & Tolga Fikret Tözüm

  4. Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 S Paulina Street, Room 469G, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Tolga Fikret Tözüm

Authors
  1. Samir Goyushov
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  2. Melek Didem Tözüm
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  3. Tolga Fikret Tözüm
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Contributions

TFT and SG designed and developed the project. SG collected the data. SG and MDT performed the analytic calculations. SG wrote the manuscript in consultation with TFT and MDT.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tolga Fikret Tözüm.

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Goyushov, S., Tözüm, M.D. & Tözüm, T.F. Assessment of morphological and anatomical characteristics of mental foramen using cone beam computed tomography. Surg Radiol Anat 40, 1133–1139 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2043-z

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