LAUSR

Aims and Objectives: The extra chin foramen (ECF) is a scarce structure in the anatomy of human lower jaw. When it is present, the dental surgeon should take care during anesthesia and surgical procedures for anterior teeth. To investigate the existence of the ECF and the direction in relation to chin foramen in chosen Ramadi City community persons, Al-Anbar Governorate, Iraq, digital panoramic and conventional intraoral (bisecting line angle technique) X-ray was used. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients (200 sides of mandible), 54 males and 46 females were selected. Each one was subjected to digital panoramic and conventional intraoral technique. The obtained images were evaluated for the existence of ECF in both male and female patients on each direction of lower jaw (left and right). Age relation to ECF existence was reported. Position of ECF to chin foramen (anterior or posterior) was calculated. The collected data were treated by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22. Results: ECFs were seen within 3.5% of the chosen population. Nonsignificant variations were observed between the existence of ECFs regarding gender, side of mandible, age coterie, and position of ECF to chin foramen (P > 0.05). Conclusion: A total of 7 (3.5%) ECFs were detected from 200 sides of mandible. ECFs were observed more in males (5 ECFs, 2.5%), at left side of mandible (4 ECFs, 2%), young patients (4 ECFs, 2%), and anterior to chin foramen (5 ECFs, 2.5%), so they were subjected to complications of damage to nerves and vessels during interventional dental surgery and anesthesia.