Study on application of cone-beam computed tomography in C-shaped root canal system in mandibular second molars

Objective To evaluate the anatomical structure of C-shaped canal systems in mandibular second molars by cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT) and to provide more intuitive imaging foundations for canal treatment.Methods The mandibular second molars of 441 patients were observed by CBCT.The incidence of the C-shaped canals in mandibular second molars and the anatomical features of the C-shaped canal systems were analyzed.Results C-shaped canal system was present in 41.72% of the mandibular second molars.This prevalence did not vary in gender or age.The patterns of C-shaped canals varied a lot.Conclusions The incidence of the C-shaped canals of the mandibular second molars is high.The C-shaped canals vary greatly in their anatomical configurations.Besides,CBCT is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of C-shaped canal systems.