Mental foramen - Wikipedia Mental foramen Mental foramen Mandible. Outer surface. Side view. ( Mental foramen visible at left. ) Details Identifiers Latin foramen mentale TA A02. 1.15. 007 FMA 53171 Anatomical terms of bone ( edit on Wikidata ) The mandibular incisive canal ( indicated here by coral green arrows ) continuing anteriorly ( to the right ) from the mandibular canal ( purple arrows ) after the mental foramen ( light green circle ). The mental foramen is one of two foramina ( openings ) located on the anterior surface of the mandible. It transmits the terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and vessels ( the mental artery ). The mental foramen descends slightly in toothless individuals. Contents 1 Variations 2 Additional images 3 References 4 External links Variations The most frequent position ( 63 % ) of the mental foramen is in line with the longitudinal axis of the 2nd premolar tooth and generally lies at the level of the vestibular fornix and about a finger 's breadth above the inferior border of the mandible. Multiple mental foramina are observed in 17 % of the sides. Only ( 4 % ) of the mandibles show bilateral multiple mental foramina. The majority of the multiple foramina are unequal in size : a single large foramen while the others are small ( satellite ) foramina. An incisive mental foramen is observed in 1 % of the sides. Additional images Side view of the skull. The skull from the front. Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. Mandibular division of the trifacial nerve. The permanent teeth, viewed from the right. References Jump up ^ Soikkonen K, Wolf J, Ainamo A, Xie Q ( November 1995 ). `` Changes in the position of the mental foramen as a result of alveolar atrophy ''. J Oral Rehabil. 22 ( 11 ) : 831 -- 3. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2842.1995. tb00230. x. PMID 8558356. Jump up ^ https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/akramjfr/mental_frmn.html&date=2009-10-25+12:10:19 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mental foramen. cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman ( Georgetown University ) ( V ) Diagram at uni-mainz.de The facial skeleton of the skull Maxilla Surfaces Anterior : fossae ( Incisive fossa, Canine fossa ) Infraorbital foramen Orbital bones Anterior nasal spine Infratemporal : Alveolar canals Maxillary tuberosity Orbital : Infraorbital groove Infraorbital canal Nasal : Greater palatine canal Processes Zygomatic process Frontal process ( Agger nasi, Anterior lacrimal crest ) Alveolar process Palatine process ( Incisive foramen, Incisive canals, Foramina of Scarpa, Incisive bone, Anterior nasal spine ) Other Body of maxilla Maxillary sinus Zygomatic Orbital process ( Zygomatico - orbital ) Temporal process ( Zygomaticotemporal ) Lateral process ( Zygomaticofacial ) Palatine Fossae Pterygopalatine fossa Pterygoid fossa Plates Horizontal plate ( Posterior nasal spine ) Perpendicular plate ( Greater palatine canal, Sphenopalatine foramen ) Hard palate Processes Pyramidal Orbital Sphenoidal Mandible Body external surface ( Chin, Mandibular prominence, Mandibular symphysis, Lingual foramen, Mental protuberance, Mental foramen, Mandibular incisive canal ) internal surface ( Mental spine, Mylohyoid line, Sublingual fovea, Submandibular fovea ) Alveolar part Ramus Mylohyoid groove Mandibular canal Lingula Mandibular foramen Angle Coronoid process Mandibular notch Condyloid process Pterygoid fovea Nose Nasal bone Internasal suture Nasal foramina Inferior nasal concha Ethmoidal process Maxillary process Vomer Wing Other Lacrimal Posterior lacrimal crest Lacrimal groove Lacrimal hamulus Prognathism Retromolar space Foramina of the skull ( and canals, fissures, meatus, and hiatus ) Anterior cranial fossa to Orbit : ethmoidal foramina anterior posterior to Nasal cavity : olfactory foramina ( CN - I ) foramen cecum Middle cranial fossa to Orbit : optic canal ( CN - II ) superior orbital fissure ( CN - III, IV, V1, VI ) to Pterygopalatine fossa : foramen rotundum ( CN - V2 ) pterygoid canal to Infratemporal fossa : foramen ovale ( CN - V3 ) foramen spinosum / carotid canal other : foramen lacerum hiatus for greater petrosal nerve hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve sphenoidal emissary foramen Posterior cranial fossa internal auditory meatus / facial canal / stylomastoid foramen ( CN - VII, VIII ) jugular foramen ( CN - IX, X, XI ) foramen magnum ( CN - XI ) hypoglossal canal ( CN - XII ) condylar canal mastoid foramen Orbit to Nasal cavity : nasolacrimal canal to face : supraorbital notch foramen infraorbital foramen groove zygomatic foramen - facial - temporal to Pterygopalatine fossa : inferior orbital fissure other : Inferior orbital fissure Fossa for lacrimal sac Pterygopalatine fossa to Nasal cavity : sphenopalatine foramen to Oral cavity : greater palatine canal foramen lesser palatine canals foramina to Infratemporal fossa : pterygomaxillary fissure to Nasopharynx : palatovaginal canal to oral cavity : incisive canals incisive foramen to nasal cavity : Foramen vomerinum Meatus vomerinus Fissura vomerina Hiatus vomerinus Other external acoustic meatus mandibular foramen mental foramen parietal foramen petrotympanic fissure semilunar hiatus This human musculoskeletal system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mental_foramen&oldid=825184672 '' Categories : Foramina of the skull Musculoskeletal system stubs Hidden categories : Pages with unresolved properties All stub articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Magyar 日本 語 Português Edit links This page was last edited on 11 February 2018, at 23 : 35 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: what is the purpose of the mental foramen
Answer: transmits the terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and vessels (the mental artery)