A rare case of an anatomical variant of nonexistent mental foramen

Abstract

The mental foramen (MF) is an important anatomical landmark in the jaw, where the sensory nerve (mental nerve) and blood vessels emerge. To avoid sensory impairment or paresthesia caused by mental nerve damage, the MF must be accurately identified and localized. The literature describes a variety of anatomical variants of the MF, such as changes in its position, emergence profile or the presence of extra foramina. This case report documents a rare case of nonexistent mental foramina on the left side of the jaw, which was detected incidentally using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) prior to implant surgery planning.