Evaluation of the Morphology of Mandibular Incisors using the Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Abstract

Introduction: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging was developed to provide an improved visual representation of hard dental tissues in three dimensions. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the morphology of the roots and canals of the mandibular incisors using CBCT. Methods: In total, 100 extracted mandibular central incisors and 100 extracted mandibular lateral incisors were mounted on separate putty blocks, which were completely immobile during imaging. The teeth were imaged using the CBCT unit (kVp=70, mA=8, and exposure time of 12 s). Vertucci’s classification was utilized to record the number of roots and the canals in each root, as well as the type of the canals. Results: Almost all mandibular incisors were single-rooted. Among the mandibular central incisors, the most common canal morphology proved to be type 1 (51), followed by type 3 (47). Totally, 2 of the teeth represented type 2 within Vertucci’s classification. Furthermore, mandibular lateral incisors were more varied in terms of anatomical classification. The most common types were recorded as types 3 (55) and 1 (41). Moreover, types 6, 2, and 5 comprised 2 of the cases. Conclusion: A high percentage of mandibular incisors have two canals, and based on Vertucci’s classification, the most common anatomies of these teeth were types 1 and 3.