The mental foramen is one of two foramina (openings) located on the anterior surface of the Human mandible. It is part of the mandibular canal. It transmits the terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and the mental vessels.
The mental foramen is in line with the longitudinal axis of the second premolar in 63% of people. It generally lies at the level of the vestibular fornix and about a finger's breadth above the inferior border of the mandible.
In the general population, 17% of mandibles have an additional mental foramen or foramina on at least one side, while 4% of the mandibles show multiple mental foramina on both sides. Most are unequal in size, often with a single large foramen while any others are smaller. An incisive mental foramen is observed in 1% of the side of the mandible.
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