title: [Use of angulated radiograph in clinical judgement of obturation quality of molars with multiple root canals].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate different angle projection technique for clinical judgment of obturation quality of molars with multiple root canals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-seven maxillary first molars with second mesiobuccal canal (MB2) and 105 mandibular first molars were selected. The canals were instrumented by Ni-Ti rotary instruments and obturated with lateral condensation technique. To judge the obturation quality of the root canals, the radiograph was taken at a horizontal angles of 0 and 20 - 30 degrees from distal direction of the tooth after the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For maxillary first molars, periapical radiographs showed 23.0% of MB2. Distally angulated radiographs showed 81.6% of MB2. For mandibular first molars, periapical radiographs showed 38.1% of mesiobuccal and mesiolingual canals, and distally angulated radiographs showed 90.5% of two mesial root canals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most buccal-lingual distributed root canals of the first molar can be shown more clearly by distally angulated radiographs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cariology and Endodontology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhi-ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Yu-zhu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jun-qi
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008963:Molar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography; D012389:Root Canal Obturation