Variation in Mental Foramen of Mandible among South Indian Population- A Radiographic Analysis

Background: The mental foramen (MF) is a hole in the body of the mandible that is placed on the antero-lateral side. Between the upper and lower mandibular borders, it can be found. It sends signals to the brain's nerves and blood vessels. Many researches have documented variations in the placement of the MF among different ethnic groups, as well as variations in its forms. It's commonly found beneath the first premolar teeth. The study's goal is to look at where mental foramen are found in the South Indian population. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 distinct OPGs from the South Indian population were used in the investigation. The position of mental foramen for various mandibles was visually examined using OPGs, and the data was tallied and analyzed using SPSS. Results: From the results it is suggested that the maximum frequency for the right side is at location 2 which is in the longitudinal axis of 1st premolar. 14.0% at location 1, 31.6% at location 2, 21.1% at location 3. 17.3% at location 4. 10% at location 5, 6% at location 6. The situation of mental foramen at the axis of 1st premolar was observed to have a high frequency of occurrence in the age group of 26-35. Conclusion: The Mental foramen in study population is mostly found in the longitudinal axis of 1st premolar. The clinical students and surgeons should know the existence of mental foramen at surgical procedures using mandibular premolar and molar regions. Future studies with large sample sizes should be conducted to make the results conclusive.