Anatomical variant of the mental nerve and its foramen

Abstract

The mental nerve is a sensory nerve that supplies the lower lip, chin, and mandibular labial gingiva. Very few variants of this nerve have been described in the literature. We describe a case in which a patient who was operated for fracture of the mandible, was found to have two mental foramina with three mental nerves. This case report highlights the need for proper radiological evaluation of mental foramina for ideal treatment planning. Clinical implications are discussed.

Keywords

• anatomical variant
• mental foramen
• mental nerve