Radiographic study of the root canal system of mandibular anterior teeth

Abstract

Summary. Two‐hundred full mouth periapical radiographic surveys from the files of the School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, were evaluated in order to investigate the number of root canals in mandibular incisors and canines. A total of 1200 mandibular anterior teeth (400 canines, 400 lateral incisors and 400 central incisors) were examined in their orthoradial radiograph and in the radiograph of the adjacent anatomical area in which the teeth were observed from an eccentric angulation. No correlation between sex or age of the patient and the number of root canals in the mandibular anterior teeth was established. The full mouth periapical radio‐graphic survey provided a diagnostic method for determining the number of root canals of the teeth examined when both the orthoradial and eccentric radiographs of the same tooth were evaluated. The results of the present study in vivo are in agreement with previous studies in vitro.