An Analysis of Digital Panoramic Radiographs for the Shape Appearance and Position of Mental Foramen (A Comparative Study Betmeew Dentate and Edentulous Patients)

Abstract

Digital panoramic radiographs were analyzed to study the shape, appearance, relative vertical and horizontal position of mental foramen in both dentate and edentulous patients
Digital panoramic radiographs were made to 144 patients, 76 dentate, (38 female and 38 male) and 68 edentulous, (30 female and 38 male). The age distribution of them was ranging between (24 – 73) years old. Mental foramen was unidentified on both sides ( right and left ) on 8 radiographs , so these 8 radiographs were excluded from the sample , which are consisting 5.5 % of the total sample . While mental foramen was unidentified on only one side ( either right or left ) of a radiograph , was included within the sample , which means that 136 radiographs (272 sides ) were included in this study 72 dentate (144 sides ) and 64 edentulous (128 sides ) radiographs . Chi – square test was used to compare the shape and the appearance of mental foramen between the two groups (dentate and edentulous), while Student t – test was used to compare the relative vertical and horizontal position of mental foramen between them.
The comparison between dentate and edentulous groups showed no significant difference in the shape and appearance of mental foramen when Chi- square test was used. While the comparison using Student t- test showed a highly significant difference between the two groups in relative vertical position , and a significant difference in relative horizontal position of mental foramen .
No significant difference was found in the shape and appearance of mental foramen on the digital panoramic radiograph, for both dentate and edentulous patients, while the vertical and horizontal positions of mental foramen were not constant between them.