The position of the mental foramen: a comparison between the southern (Hong Kong) Chinese and other ethnic and racial groups.

The anteroposterior position of the mental foramen in eighty-seven southern (Hong Kong) Chinese skulls was compared with that reported for other ethnic and racial groups. The average position was essentially in line with the longitudinal axis of the second premolar tooth, a result similar to that reported for other Mongoloid populations, just posterior to the position in Caucasoids and anterior to the position in Negroids. These observations do not support the statement made in the majority of textbooks on dental analgesia that the foramen is most commonly found between the apices of the premolar teeth.