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Evaluation of retromolar canals on cone beam computerized tomography scans and digital panoramic radiographs

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to carry out morphologic and topographic analyses of retromolar canals on cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) scans, comparing findings to others obtained from the corresponding digital panoramic radiographs.

Methods

Sixty-one CBCT scans were analysed digitally, as well as their corresponding digital panoramic radiographs. The prevalence and distribution of these canals, foramen diameters, and intraosseous communications were also evaluated.

Results

On CBCT scans, we found that 24.6% of individuals had at least one retromolar canal. The mean foramen diameter was slightly higher than 1 mm and we could not determine the intraosseous anatomical connections in most cases. The morphology and topography of the retromolar canals were not affected by gender and antimere. In addition, only 22.2% of all tomographically identified canals could be confirmed on digital panoramic radiographs (26.7% of such patients). Regarding all sample, 6.6% of individuals showed retromolar canals on digital panoramic radiographs.

Conclusion

We may consider that these structures are clinically relevant findings and, due to the low accuracy of the panoramic radiographs, high-quality tomographic exams should always be asked for presurgical treatment planning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal de São Paulo – UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil

    Luiz Felipe Palma

  2. Universidade Metodista de São Paulo – UMESP, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil

    Ariane Fraga Buck

  3. Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas – FMU, São Paulo, Brazil

    Flávio de Ávila Kfouri & Marcelo Arthur Cavalli

  4. Sindicato dos Odontologistas do Estado de São Paulo – SOESP, São Paulo, Brazil

    Isaac Tobias Blachman

  5. Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro – UFTM, Uberaba, Brazil

    Leonardo Augusto Lombardi

Authors
  1. Luiz Felipe Palma
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  2. Ariane Fraga Buck
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  3. Flávio de Ávila Kfouri
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  4. Isaac Tobias Blachman
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  5. Leonardo Augusto Lombardi
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  6. Marcelo Arthur Cavalli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luiz Felipe Palma.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by an Ethics Committee (protocol number 50616015.8.0000.5449).

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Palma, L.F., Buck, A.F., Kfouri, F.d.Á. et al. Evaluation of retromolar canals on cone beam computerized tomography scans and digital panoramic radiographs. Oral Maxillofac Surg 21, 307–312 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-017-0632-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-017-0632-3

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