The position of mandibular and mental foramina in Kenyan African mandibles.

Analysis of 79 adult African mandibles indicated that 64.6% of the mandibular foramina were located below the level of the posterior extension of the occlusal plane while 30.7% were located along this plane. 56.1% of the mental foramina were located below the second premolar while 31.1% were between the second premolar and first molar. The remainder were located between the premolars. The mental foramen opened posterosuperiorly in 72.5% of the surfaces. Multiple mental foramina were found on 4.5% of the mandibles. While emphasising the importance of palpation prior to administration of mental nerve block, these observations suggest that in case of uneffective mandibular nerve block, for a significant proportion of Kenyan Bantus, attempts to place the anaesthetic solution slightly below the occlusal plane be considered.