Objectives: Interforaminal implant surgery requires anatomical knowledge of the area and adequate information on the location of the various landmarks of significance such as the mental foramen, the anterior loop of the inferior orbital nerve and the mandibular incisive canal using Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). This information may be used to provide recommendations to the surgeon without access to a 3D scan of the dento-alveolar region. Materials and methods: 65 patients scanned with ‘i-CAT’ device for a variety of clinical indications were included. Using the device’s software the gender prevalence and length of the anterior loop was assessed. Results: The results show that an anterior loop was present with a mean of 3.40 mm in males and 2.85 mm in females as identified in an Indian sub-population. There was no significant difference in the loop length between the right and left side of the mandible. Conclusion: As the anterior loop length shows a high degree of variability, these findings suggest that a CBCT for each patient is recommended in order to visualise a safety zone before placing implants close to the mental foramen.
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