Relation of Mental Foramen to dental implant

Background: The mental foramen is a strategically important landmark during osteotomy procedures. Its location and the possibility that an anterior loop of the mental nerve may be present mesial to the mental foramen needs to be considered before implant surgery to avoid mental nerve injury. Material and method: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted using panoramic radiographic data of Iraqi regular healthy patients visiting dental teaching Hospitals at Al Farahidi College of Dentistry .The number of participants selected for this study is 40, 20 male and 20 female. Results: A total of 45 were processed and analyzed during the periods of the current study. Out of these, only 40 were considered sufficient for the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fifty Bee Gees for five subjects were discarded because they were not matched with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The remaining 40 Bee Gees represent 20 male and 20 female subjects. All the data were matched to get a better picture and comprehensive results. Keywords: Mental Foramen, dental implant, mental foramen