Anatomy of the accessory mental foramen in a Saudi subpopulation: A multicenter CBCT study

Morphological Characteristics of the Double Mental Foramen and Its Relevance in Clinical Practice: An Observational Study

The mental foramen (MF) is an opening found bilaterally on the anterolateral aspect of the mandible; it can be round or oval and have different diameters. One of the anatomical variants of the jaw is the presence of an accessory mental foramen (AMF). These are usually smaller than the MF and can be located above, below, or to the sides of the main MF. The objective of this study was to recognize the presence of AMF in dry jaws of the Chilean population and collect information about its clinical relevance reported in the literature. In this descriptive observational study, we have collected dried jaws obtained from three higher education institutions in Santiago de Chile, from the Department of Morphology of the Andrés Bello University, the Normal Human Anatomy Unit of the University of Santiago, and the Human Anatomy pavilion from the Faculty of Medicine of the Finis Terrae University. The samples for this research were obtained by convenience, and the observation of the jaws was carried out in the human anatomy laboratories of each institution by three evaluators independently, and a fourth evaluator was included to validate that each evaluation was correct. The sample for this research came from 260 dry jaws, showing the following findings from the total jaws studied, and to classify as an accessory MF, it will be examined and measured so that it complies with what is declared in the literature as the presence of AMF, which is between 0.74 mm. and 0.89 mm. There were 17 studies included with a sample that fluctuated between 1 and 4000, with a cumulative total of 7946 and an average number of jaws analyzed from the studies of 467.4, showing statistically significant differences between the means with the sample analyzed in this study; p = 0.095. For the cumulative prevalence of the presence of AMF, this was 3.07 in this study, and in the compared studies, the average of AMF was 8.01%, which did not present a statistically significant difference; p = 0.158. Regarding the presence of variants of unilateral AMF, this occurred in five jaws, which is equivalent to 1.84% in the sample of this study, while in previous studies, it was 7.5%, being higher on the left side than on the right. The presence of AMF is a variant with high prevalence if we compare it with other variants of the jaw. Knowledge of the anatomy and position of the AMF is crucial to analyze different scenarios in the face of surgical procedures or conservative treatments of the lower anterior dental region.

Mental Foramen Position, Shape, Continuity, and Symmetry Among Malocclusion Patients: A Radiographic Study

INTRODUCTION

Many dental treatments need exact knowledge of the anatomical location of the mental foramen (MF). This retrospective research uses orthopantomograph (OPG) to assess the MF of orthodontic patients in Saudi Arabia and their position, symmetry, shape, and connectivity.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

One hundred and eighty panoramic radiographs of patients having orthodontic treatment were analyzed for the location, form, symmetry, as well as bilateral preservation of the MF. The patients were of varied ages, genders, and degrees of malocclusion and were divided into three classes: Class I (60), Class II (60), and Class III (60). Chi-squared tests and other descriptive statistics were employed to examine the data for statistical significance.

RESULT

When looking at the right side of the mouth, the most frequent location for MF was position 3 (between the apexes of the first and second premolars; 50.6%), whereas on the left side, it was location 4 (near the apical of the second premolar; 47.2%). The most typical form of MF has an irregular shape. MF location on the left side and continuity types differed significantly across malocclusion groups (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

 OPGs of Saudi orthodontic patients demonstrated a significant variability of position and continuity of the MF across different classes of malocclusion. The third most frequent position was between the first and second premolars, while the shape of MF showed variation across the age of the patients. Hence, this precise comprehension of the anatomical and morphological diversity of the MF is of utmost significance for dental professionals.

The Temporary Mental Nerve Paresthesia as an Outcome of Dentigerous Cyst Removal during Preparation for Dental Implant Placement: A Case Report

The usage of xenograft material is widely used in almost all oral cavity bone defects for regenerative and reconstructive purposes. The presented xenograft usage in the following care report enabled good bone defect healing and enabled the preservation of affected premolars. It is quite common to use any possible variations of bone materials to ensure bone defect improved healing. In some cases, the scope of surgeries requires the removal of each cyst within close proximity to various nerves and vessels. The inferior alveolar, infraorbital, lingual, and mental nerves are those most commonly adjacent to most operating sites in jaw bones. The usage of some additional materials such as collagen sponges, bone substitutes, resorbable membranes, or other additional materials are useful in each bone defect reconstruction but should be handled with care, as described in the following case. Before planning their usage, it is important to perform each surgery with close cone beam computed tomography imaging, which is very helpful to establish the scope of each lesion and the proximity of vital structures. There are a lot of factors that might influence any possible nerve damage, especially the different nerve anatomical variations. Even factors including the subperiosteal preparation and compression of adjacent tissues might influence later nerve function. When the lesion is expanding through the buccal cortical plate and when soft tissue fluctuation is present, some special care is needed. Similar to the presented case, a limitation in crushing, blowing, or any irritation of nerve fibers improves later postoperative outcomes. When the wound and surrounding tissues are handled with care, a limited possibility of any damage or paresthesia can occur. When the nerve itself is damaged or cut, loss of function can be permanent. Immediately after or even prophylactic prescription 1–2 days before the surgery of Vitamin B with NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) (or other additional supplementary medicaments can improve nerve function in time. Possible nerve damage can be divided into many etiological factors. A quite different situation arises when the nerve is pulled in by the cyst growth into the cyst wall. The presented case report describes the outcomes of a cyst removal from the mandibular basis and treatment modalities.