[Micro-anatomy of the apical lateral foramina of permanent teeth].
OBJECTIVE
To provide data of apical lateral foramina of Chinese people's permanent teeth.


METHODS
The shape and diameter of the apical lateral foramina in 1,502 permanent teeth were observed under the XTL-2 stero-microscope.


RESULTS
The shape and diameter of 230 apical lateral foramina in the permanent teeth can be divided into four types: round (61.31%, diameter: 0.09-0.26 mm), oval (36.96%, diameter: 0.12-0.28 mm), renal (1.30%), and irregular (0.43%). The occurrence of the apical lateral foramina is 15.31% (230/1,502).


CONCLUSIONS
The apical lateral foramina are found in 1/7 of 1,502 permanent teeth.
Pi
X
X
Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology, Hubei Medical University, Wuhan 430071, China.
Li
Q
Q
Du
C
C
D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology