Abstract
IntroductionThe maxillary incisive canal connects the roof of the oral cavity with the floor of nasal cavity and has the incisive and nasal foramina respectively at its two opposite ends. Its close proximity with the anterior incisors affects one’s ability to place immediate implants in ideal position.ObjectiveTo avoid causing complication, variations in their dimensions were studied.Material and MethodsImages of ninety Mongoloids patients examined with i-CAT Cone Beam Computed Tomography were included. The sizes of the nasopalatine foramen, the incisive canal and foramen, and anterior maxillary bone thickness were measured. The direction and course of the canals were assessed.ResultsThe mean labiopalatal and mesiodistal measurements of the incisive foramen were 2.80mm and 3.49 mm respectively, while the labiopalatal width of the nasal foramen was 6.06mm. The incisive canal was 16.33mm long and 3.85 mm wide. The anterior maxillary bone has an average thickness of 7.63 mm. The dimensions of the incisive foramen and incisive canal, and anterior maxillary bone thickness demonstrated gender differences with males showing greater values. The anterior maxillary bone thickness was affected by age but this difference was not observed in canal dimensions. The majority of subjects have a funnel shape-like incisive canal with the broader opening located at its superior. They seem to have a longer slanted-curve canal with one channel at its middle portion and a narrower incisive foramen opening than those reported elsewhere.ConclusionsThis study found that gender is an important factor that affected the characteristics of the IC and the amount of bone anterior to it. Male generally had bigger IC and thicker anterior bone. In addition, the anterior maxillary bone thickness was affected by aging, where it becomes thinner with increased age even though the subjects were fully dentate.
Highlights
The maxillary incisive canal connects the roof of the oral cavity with the floor of nasal cavity and has the incisive and nasal foramina respectively at its two opposite ends
This study found that gender is an important factor that affected the characteristics of the incisive canal (IC) and the amount of bone anterior to it
The anterior maxillary bone thickness was affected by aging, where it becomes thinner with increased age even though the subjects were fully dentate
Summary
Images of ninety Mongoloids patients examined with i-CAT Cone Beam Computed Tomography were included. The board of ethics was aware that this was a retrospective study and the facts that this study was undertaken using patients’ data / records / radiographs As this is a teaching institution, all patients seeking treatment at the Faculty of Dentistry are informed and verbal consent taken for all forms of their records to be used for teaching and/or research purposes, with the assurance that their identity will remain anonymous. One hundred consecutive cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images recorded with iCAT imaging system (Imaging Sciences International, Inc. Hatfield, USA), taken at the Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology Division, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya were selected for this study. All images were taken retrospectively but following a standardized protocol for patient positioning, exposure parameter (120 KvP, 3–7 mA, 20 sec) and image acquisition at 0.3 mm voxel size by the same radiographer These images were reconstructed from the CBCT data using proprietary i-CAT image reconstruction software. Using two other images captured at both right and left sides of doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117251.g001 the IC, the length of the NP canal was measured as a distance from the nasal opening to the palatal opening (Fig. 2)
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