A Canal Worth Counting: CBCT Prevalence and Morphometry of the Canalis Sinuosus in a Southern Saudi (Asir) Subpopulation

Background: Small bony canals in the anterior maxilla are relevant to dental implant planning, but their reported frequency depends on anatomical definitions and imaging methods. This exploratory study describes recorded canal findings and selected measurements in an Asir hospital sample. Methods: Cone-beam computed tomography examinations of 75 patients were reviewed retrospectively. Two examiners collected one shared dataset after an initial calibration exercise. Findings were summarized descriptively with Wilson 95% confidence intervals. Results: A canal finding was recorded in 34 of 75 patients (45.3%; 95% confidence interval, 34.6–56.6%) and in 21 of 55 documented right-side assessments (38.2%; 95% confidence interval, 26.5–51.4%). Six patients had findings recorded on both sides; the total number of assessed left sides was not documented. Mean opening-to-buccal-plate and opening-to-nasal-floor distances were 7.84 and 10.13 mm. Incomplete bilateral assessment, an insufficiently specified main-versus-accessory canal definition, and the absence of quantitative observer-reliability testing limit interpretation. The small sample does not support firm conclusions about demographic associations. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary descriptive information about anterior maxillary canals, not definitive estimates of anatomical prevalence or laterality. Future studies require complete bilateral assessment, explicit anatomical criteria, and quantitative reliability testing.