Abstract
Panoramic radiographs were used to survey the location of the mental foramen horizontally and vertically of the dentulaus subjects. It was reviewed whether the relationship of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mandible remain relatively constant before and after the loss of teeth.
The results are as follows:
1. Probably almost the mental foramina were located horizontally just under the mandibular second premolar, and 90% of the mental foramina were located from the middle area of the first and second premolar to the area just under the second premolar.
The mental foramen of male subjects had a tendency to be located anteriorly than that of female subjects.
The vertical relative ratio of the distance from the inferior border of the mandible to the center of the mental foramen versus the distance from the inferior border of the mandible to the upper edge of the alveolar crest through the center of the mental foramen vertically was 0.442 for male subjects and 0.432 for female subjects. It was significant.
The vertical relative ratio of vertical position of the mental foramen increased 0.0001 for male, 0.0002 for female for aging process.
2. The distance from the inferior border of the mandible to the center of the mental foramen was not significant for aging but significant for sexual difference.
In partial edentulous case of the same subject, the distance was not significant for sex and dentition.
