The Proximity of Mental Foramen to Mandibular First Premolar Teeth: Cone Beam Computed Tomography Analysis in Turkish Population

Summary Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the proximity of the mental foramen (MF) to the roots of the mandibular first premolar teeth in the Turkish population according to gender and different age groups. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 385 samples of 242 patients who presented at the Dicle University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. The proximity of the MF to mandibular first premolar teeth was examined on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Two-way Anova variance analysis was used in the statistical analyses of the data. Results: According to the analysis results, no statistically significant difference was determined between the age and gender groups (p>0.05). In the evaluation of the gender groups, the mean value was 6.6997 mm for females and 6.5445 mm for males. Conclusions: With 3-dimensional imaging technology, the CBCT system provides detailed information about the MF localization. This method has shown that the localization of the MF could change associated with variables such as age and gender.