Differences in Distance between Mandibular Premolars Root Apices and the Mental Foramen by CBCT Imaging according to Sex in Patients Referred to Dental School of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science in 2020-2021

Background and Objectives:

 Knowing the location of mental foramen during common dental procedures such as local anesthesia, periapical and endodontic surgeries, extraction of impacted teeth and enucleation of cysts and tumors is important. Due to the limitations of available information about this anatomical structure, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between root of mandibular premolar teeth and mental foramen.

Subjects and Methods :

In this retrospective study, CBCT images of 94 patients (47 men and 47 women) who referred to the radiologic department of Ahvaz Jundishapur Dental School in 2020-2021 were recorded and evaluated. Finally, the data were analyzed to evaluate the difference in distance between mandibular premolar teeth root apex and the mental foramen in men and women, using SPSS software version 24 and t- test.

Results:

 There was no statistically significant difference for any of the roots of the second right mandibular premolar, first and second left mandibular premolars regarding the distance between the root apex and the mental foramen in men and women. But this distance in the root of the first right mandibular premolar was significantly greater in men than women (p = 0.008).

Conclusion:

 This study showed that except for the root of the first right mandibular premolar, there is no significant difference in the distance between the apex of the mandibular premolars to the mental foramen between men and women.