Mental foramen
The mental foramen (from Latin foramen "opening", "hole" and mentum "chin") is a bone opening on the outside of the horizontal branch of the lower jaw ( mandible ) through which the mental nerve (a terminal branch of the inferior alveolar nerve ), the mental artery and the associated vein ( vena mentalis ) emerge from the mandibular canal . The mental foramen is present on both sides. It is located (in Europeans ) slightly below the root tips between the two mandibular premolars . The location varies, however, depending on ancestry (European, Asian , African and others).
This localization is the reason why the chin region and the lower lip feel numb in the case of a conduction anesthesia in the lower jaw, in which the anesthetic is injected near the mandibular foramen . The dentist interprets this numbness as evidence that the anesthesia is working. Conduction anesthesia is also possible directly at the mental foramen, through which the premolars, the chin region and the lower lip are anesthetized.
The position of the mental foramen must also be taken into account during surgical tooth removal and a root tip resection . Then it may be necessary to visit the foramen and expose the vascular / nerve cord to rule out accidental damage.
In the case of an edentulous, severely atrophied alveolar process (the tooth-bearing part of the jawbone), the mental foramen can virtually lie on top of the lower jawbone and lead to very unpleasant pain when a denture presses on the nerve exit point. In these cases, this area of the prosthesis must be placed hollow or the foramen must be relocated by neurolysis .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Der kleine Stowasser : Latin-German school dictionary
literature
- Klaus D. Mörike: Textbook of macroscopic anatomy for dentists