Method: CBCT exams of 178 subjects displaying the entire anterior maxilla were included and the following parameters were registered: gender; age group; presence of additional foramina in the anterior palate (AFP) with at least 1mm in diameter; location and diameter of AFP; and direction of bony canals associated with AFP.
Result: Twenty-eight patients (15.7%) presented AFP and in total 34 additional foramina were registered. No statistical differences between patients with or without AFP were found for gender or age (p=0.71 and 0.26, respectively). The average diameter of AFP was 1.4mm (range 1mm to 1.9mm). Their location was variable, with most of the cases occurring in the alveolar process near the incisors or canines (n=27). In 18 cases AFP were associated with bony canals with upward or oblique direction towards the anterior nasal cavity floor. In 14 cases the canal presented as a direct extension of the canalis sinuosus, in an upward direction laterally to the nasal cavity aperture. In two cases, the canal was observed adjacent to the incisive and joined the nasopalatine canal superiorly.
Conclusion: CBCT images have a crucial role in the recognition of anatomical variations by allowing detailed tridimensional evaluations. Additional foramina and canals in the anterior region of the upper jaw are relatively frequent (over 15% among the population studied). Practitioners should be aware and trained to identify these variations.