Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Three-Dimensional Cephalometric Landmark Annotation Demonstration on Human Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: September 8, 2023
C-shaped canal system in mandibular second molars: Part II--Radiographic features
Bing Fan1, Gary S P Cheung, Mingwen Fan
1Key Lab for Oral Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Endodontic Center, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between the radiographic features of C-shaped mandibular second molars and the cross-sectional shapes of their root canal system. Fifty-eight extracted mandibular second molars with fused roots were collected from a native Chinese population. The teeth were scanned at 0.5-mm interval thickness by micro-computed tomography (microCT) and observed at 11 levels. The 54 teeth that possessed a C-shaped canal system were further examined. Their radiographic appearances were classified into three types according to discernible radiographic features. The results were subject to the Kruskal-Wallis statistical test. In these 54 molars, 16 teeth (29.63%) showed a type I radiographic image, 22 (40.74%) type II, and 16 (29.63%) type III. In the type I category, the C1 and C4 canal configurations were mostly found in the apical area. Categories C2 and C3 were the main configurations in the middle and apical areas in type II and III. The type III had more C2 canals in middle area than type II. These results suggested that it was possible to predict the presence and the configuration of C-shaped canal system by the radiographic appearance.
Related Concept Videos
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
Compact Bone
Compact bone, also called cortical bone, is the denser, stronger of the two types of bone tissue. It is found under the periosteum and in the diaphyses of long bones, where it provides support and protection. The microscopic structural unit of compact bone is called an osteon, or haversian system. Each osteon is composed of concentric rings of calcified...
Bone Structure
Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles
