title: Assessment of root canal morphology of mandibular first premolars in the Indian population using spiral computed tomography: an in vitro study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study is to determine the root canal morphology of the mandibular first premolar teeth in an Indian population using spiral computed tomography (SCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred extracted mandibular first premolars were observed using Spiral Computed Tomography for the (i) Pattern of root canal (ii) Tooth length (iii) Position of the bifurcation of the canal (iv) Invagination of the root (v) Root thickness. The root canal morphology was classified based on Vertucci's classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty percent of the teeth had a single canal, 11% of the teeth had two canals, and C-shaped canals were found in 2% of the teeth, in this study. The average length of the teeth was 21.6 mm. Fourteen percent of the teeth had mesial invagination of the root.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Type I root canal morphology was the most common type of root canal system in the mandibular first premolars among the Indian population in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Alapakkam Main Road, Maduravoyal, Chennai-602 102, India.
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sandhya
authors.forename: Natanasabapathy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Velmurugan
authors.forename: Deivanayagam
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kandaswamy
mesh_terms: D001641:Bicuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002965:Classification; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008334:Mandible; D009811:Odontometry / Q000379:methods*; D012015:Reference Standards; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging