Assessing the Mandibular Foramen: A Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Study on Location, Morphology, and Clinical Relevance

The mandibular foramen (MF) is a common anatomical landmark in dentistry that is located slightly posterior to the midpoint of the anterior-posterior dimension of the ramus and at or below the level of the occlusal plane in the dentulous mandible. This study aimed to assess the location, height, shape, diameter, and relationship to the occlusal plane of MF in the adult population using CBCT and compare our findings with those of previous publications.

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, a total of eight hundred and thirteen CBCT images were collected from the teaching hospital database of Umm Al-Qura University’s Dental Medicine department, with 135 images meeting the inclusion criteria. The participants’ ages ranged from 20 to 76 years.

The mean MF-CLP angle was 41.9° on the left and 42.3° on the right. The median MF height was 2.89 mm on the right and 2.85 mm on the left. The shapes of the observed MFs were predominantly round (52%) and oval (48%). No significant differences in MF height and angle were found between genders.

The orthopanogram (OPG) is the most used radiographic imaging technique in dental practice. Despite this, OPGs are not reliable enough to accurately assess the location of the MF.

The observed MF height and MF–CLP angle suggest that inserting the needle at a height of less than 10 mm from the occlusal plane at an acute angle through the contralateral side is recommended for enhancing the success of inferior alveolar nerve blocks.