Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography as a Tool for Greater Palatine Foramen and Greater Palatine Sulcus Detection

This study aimed in evaluates the position of the greater palatine sulcus and foramen, according to confounding factors, using cone-beam computerized tomography. The great palatine foramen and greater palatine sulcus were located at 105 maxillary cone-beam computerized tomography and the distance to the cement-enamel junction at the first and second premolars and the first molar were measured. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was used to data analysis. The great palatine foramen was most frequently located in the regions between the second and third molar and no influence of variables were noted (p>0.05). The mean distance between the greater palatine sulcus and cement-enamel junction was 15.3±2.3 mm. However, a shorter distance was observed in females (p<0.0001) and in those lowvault subjects (p<0.05). The location of the greater palatine sulcus appears to be affected by gender and palatal type, i.e., female and low-vault subjects presented the artery closer to the cement-enamel junction.