The position of the apical foramen of the permanent incisors

Abstract The position of the apical foramen in relation to the anatomical root apex is of considerable importance to the dentist, especially when the level of obturation of the root canal is determined through tooth length calculated radiologically. The main objective of this study was to determine in upper permanent incisor teeth, the position of foramen/foramina relative to the anatomical apex. In 635 permanent upper incisors, the results of this study showed 54.3 per cent with the foramen coincident with the root apex, and 45.7 per cent where the root apex and the foramen were non‐coincident. The average distance of the foramen from the root apex in the latter group was 0.35 mm and it ranged from 0.1 to 1.2 mm. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the apical termination of debridement and obturation of root canals.