Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr;37(1):25-33.
doi: 10.54589/aol.37/1/25.

Analysis of morphology and symmetry of the root canal system of incisors, premolars and mandibular molars using CBCT

Thamara C Maluf  1 , Carlos E Bueno  1 , Rina A Pelegrine  1 , Carlos E Fontana  2 , Daniel Gp Rocha  3 , Wayne M Nascimento  1 , Ana G Limoeiro  4 , Marilia Fv Marceliano-Alves  5   6   7 , Alexandre S De Martin  1
Affiliations

Analysis of morphology and symmetry of the root canal system of incisors, premolars and mandibular molars using CBCT

Thamara C Maluf et al. Acta Odontol Latinoam. 2024 Apr.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Knowledge of root canal internal anatomy and its variations is important forproper endodontic treatment. It is therefore necessary to investigate morphological aspects among different dental groups in the same patient to define the best protocol for the case.

Aim: To evaluate the morphology and symmetry of homologous incisors, premolars and mandibular molars using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Materials and method: Descriptive statistical analysis was performed for the frequency of categorical variables, and a chi-square test or Fisher 's exact test was used to test whether gender and side were associated with number of roots, number of canals, and Vertucci's classification. Forty-five CBCT scans were evaluated, and 444 mandibular teeth were analyzed. The number of roots, number of canals, classification of the canals in each root according to Vertucci and presence of a symmetrical relationship between pairs of posterior teeth were analyzed.

Results: The resuls showed that 74% of mandibular central incisors had type I root canal, 26% of mandibular lateral incisors had type I and, with a significant difference in the number of canals between males and females (p < 0.05). In mandibular first premolars, 70.5% had type I; and in mandibular second premolars, 98.5% had type I. Mandibular first molars had two roots in 98% of the cases. Second mandibular molars had two roots in 92.5% of the cases, one root in 6%, and three roots in 1.5%. Symmetry between central incisors was higher in females than in males.

Conclusión: Teeth of the same group can have different morphologies in the same patient.

0 conhecimento da anatomia interna e suas variagoes anatómicas é fator importante para o adequado tratamento endodóntico. Portanto, é necessário investigar esses aspectos morfológicos entre diferentes grupos dentários de um mesmo paciente para definir o melhor protocolo para o caso.

Objetivo: Avaliar a morfologia e simetria de incisivos, pré-molares e molares inferiores homólogos por meio de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cónico (TCFC).

Materiais e método: Foi realizada análise estatística descri-tiva para a frequéncia das variáveis categóricas e foi utilizado o teste do qui-quadrado ou teste exato de Fisher para testar a relagao entre sexo e lado em comparagao com número de raízes, número de canais e classificagao de Vertucci. Quarenta e cinco TCFC foram avaliadas e 444 dentes inferiores foram analisados. Foram considerados: o número de raízes, o número de canais, o tipo dos canais acordo com a classificagao de Vertucci e a presenga de relagao simétrica entre pares de dentes posteriores.

Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que 74% dos incisivos centrais inferiores tinham um canal radicular tipo 1 e 26% tinham dois canais; 73% dos incisivos laterais inferiores, 26%oeram do tipo I, tinham um canal e 27% tinham dois canais, com diferenga significativa no número de canais entre os grupos masculino e feminino (p < 0,05). Nos primeiros pré-molares inferiores, tipo I, um canal foi detectado em 70,5% e dois canais em 29,5%; nos segundos pré-molares inferiores, tipo I, um único canal foi detectado em 98,5%. O primeiro molar inferior foi observado com duas raízes em 98% e tres raízes em 2%o. O segundo molar inferior tinha duas raízes em 92,5% dos casos, uma raiz em 6% e tres raízes em 1,5%. A simetria foi maior nas mulheres em comparagao aos homens nos incisivos centrais.

Conclusão: Pode-se concluir que dentes de um mesmo grupo podem apresentar morfologias diferentes no mesmo paciente.

Keywords: anatomy; endodontics; permanent teeth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Vertucci’s classification. Type I: a single canal exits the pulp chamber and extends to the apex; type II: two canals leave the pulp chamber separately and unite into a single canal anterior to the apex; type III, a single canal leaves the pulp chamber, divides into two in the middle third, and unites into a single canal in the apical third; type IV, two canals leave the pulp chamber and extend to the apex; type V, a single canal leaves the pulp chamber and divides into two canals with two separate foramina; type VI, two canals exit the pulp chamber, reunite in the root body, and divide again into two separate canals at the apex; type VII, a single canal exits the pulp chamber, divides into two, then reunites into one canal and terminates in two separate canals; type VIII, three separate canals exit the pulp chamber and extend to the apex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Vertucci FJ. Root canal morphology and its relationship to endodontic procedures. Endod Topics [Internet]. 2005 Mar;10(1):3-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-1546.2005.00129.x
    2. Vertucci FJ. Root canal morphology and its relationship to endodontic procedures. Endod Topics [Internet] 2005 Mar;10(1):3–29. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-1546.2005.00129.x. - DOI
    1. Vertucci FJ. Root canal anatomy of the human permanent teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1984 Nov;58(5):589-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-4220(84)90085-9 - PubMed
    2. Vertucci FJ. Root canal anatomy of the human permanent teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1984 Nov;58(5):589–99. doi: 10.1016/0030-4220(84)90085-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Plotino G, Tocci L, Grande NM, Testarelli L, Messineo D, Ciotti M, et al. Symmetry of root and root canal morphology of maxillary and mandibular molars in a white population: A cone-beam computed tomography study in vivo. J Endod. 2013;39(12):1545-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2013.09.012 - PubMed
    2. Plotino G, Tocci L, Grande NM, Testarelli L, Messineo D, Ciotti M, et al. Symmetry of root and root canal morphology of maxillary and mandibular molars in a white population: A cone-beam computed tomography study in vivo. J Endod. 2013;39(12):1545–8. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2013.09.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Leoni GB, Versiani MA, Pécora JD, Damiao de Sousa-Neto M. Micro-Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Root Canal Morphology of Mandibular Incisors. J Endod. 2014 May;40(5):710-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2013.09.003 - PubMed
    2. Leoni GB, Versiani MA, Pécora JD, Damiao de Sousa-Neto M. Micro-Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Root Canal Morphology of Mandibular Incisors. J Endod. 2014 May;40(5):710–6. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2013.09.003. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tang Y, Wu Y, Pei F, Liu C, Qiu Y, Yang T, et al. A micro-computed tomographic analysis of the root canal systems in the permanent mandibular incisors in a Chinese population. BMC Oral Health. 2023 Mar 8;23(1): 129. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-023-02830-5 - PMC - PubMed
    2. Tang Y, Wu Y, Pei F, Liu C, Qiu Y, Yang T, et al. A micro-computed tomographic analysis of the root canal systems in the permanent mandibular incisors in a Chinese population. BMC Oral Health. 2023 Mar 8;23(1):129. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-02830-5. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types