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Location and shape of the apical foramina in posterior teeth: an in-vitro analysis
Mohnish Zulfikar Manva1, Riyadh Alroomy2, Shamama Sheereen3
1Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah, 11952, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. m.manva@mu.edu.sa.
Purpose:
To analyze the morphology of shapes and positions of the apical foramina in permanent maxillary and mandibular posterior teeth.
Methods:
Examination of the apical foramina was performed with a stereomicroscope at a magnification of 10×. The anatomic parameters evaluated were the shapes of the peripheral contours of the apical foramina (rounded, oval, asymmetric, and semilunar). The location of the apical foramen was recorded as a center, buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal surface.
Results:
Results have shown that the frequency of deviation was 68% in all teeth being assessed, while the most frequent location of the apical foramen was in the center, with 32% followed by distal with 18%. The common shape of apical foramina was round shape in all the teeth.
Conclusions:
The variation in the location and shapes of apical foramina in teeth. The commonest deviation in location of apical foramina was distal and the frequent shape was of a round shape.

