Position of the mental foramen: an anatomical study.

Knowledge of the position of the mental foramen is very important during all surgical procedures and it needs to be considered before all surgical procedures in the mandible region. The aim of this study was to determine the position of the mental foramen in the dissected human cadaver specimens. Four hundred hemimandible specimens from human cadavers were dissected and analyzed for the position of the mental foramen. The most common position of the mental foramen investigated - using anatomical dissection - was between the first and second mandibular premolars. These investigations provide relevant data for clinical anatomy, especially when planning oral operative treatment in the premolar area.