<Tr> <Th> FMA </Th> <Td> 53171 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Anatomical terms of bone (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> 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 . </P> <P> 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 . </P>

What is the purpose of the mental foramen