Anatomical study of the root apex in the maxillary anterior teeth

The purpose of this study was to investigate anatomically the apical portion of the root canal of human maxillary anterior teeth. Thirty maxillary central incisors, 30 maxillary lateral incisors, and 30 maxillary cuspids were used. These were teeth from patients ranging in age from 11 to 73 yr. The root apex and main apical foramen coincided in 16.7% of central incisors and cuspids and in 6.7% of the lateral incisors. The labiolingual diameter of the root canal at the apical constriction of the central incisors, lateral incisors, and cuspids averaged 0.425 mm, 0.369 mm, and 0.375 mm, respectively; and the respective vertical distances between apex and apical constriction were 0.863 mm, 0.825 mm, and 1.010 mm.