Detection and characterization of the accessory mental foramen using cone-beam computed tomography

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the frequency and characteristics of accessory mental foramina (AMFs) and their bony canals in a selected Chinese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Materials and methods: Reconstructed CBCT images of the mandible in 784 Chinese patients (305 males and 479 females) were retrospectively analysed to identify the AMF. The presence, dimension and location of the AMF as well as the origin and course of the associated bony canal were evaluated and classified. Variations in these characteristics were analysed according to gender, side and age.

Results: A total of 66 AMFs were found in 57 (7.3%) of the 784 patients. The frequency of AMFs was significantly influenced by gender and side of the mandible (p?Conclusions: This study presents a considerable frequency of AMFs in a Chinese population. The high-position AMF and the associated bony canal coursing in the oblique upward direction appear frequently. Thus, clinicians should be alert to the presence of the AMF to avoid neurovascular complications especially when dental procedures require periosteum detachment and implant insertion in the mental region.