Horizontal migration of pre- and postnatal mental foramen: An anatomic study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the horizontal migration of the human mental foramen before and after birth.Methods54 formalin-fixed fetuses between 17 and 32 weeks of gestation, and 94 panoramic radiographs of children aged between 4 and 12 years were investigated. The distances between the mental foramen and mental symphysis, and the distances between the posterior border of the mandibular ramus and mental foramen were determined according to development periods.ResultsOur results confirm that the mental foramen moves in a posterior direction during the development of the mandible.ConclusionThe horizontal location of the pre- and postnatal mental foramen changes in a posterior direction as the development progresses, however, prenatal mental foramen features an irregular behavior, while the postnatal mental foramen gradually migrates posteriorly in a regular pattern.