EVALUATION OF C-SHAPED CANAL VARIATIONS IN MANDIBULAR MOLARS USING CONE- BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES

European Congress of DentoMaxilloFacial Radiology 2026, Iasi, Romanya, 25 - 27 Haziran 2026, ss.103, (Özet Bildiri)

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate and classify the cross-sectional morphological

characteristics of C-shaped root canals in mandibular molars at the coronal, middle, and apical

levels using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images.

Material and Methods: This retrospective study screened 1520 CBCT records archived

between November 2024 and December 2025. 99 patients with C-shaped canals (159 mandibular

molars) were included. Axial sections were assessed using three standardized levels: coronal (2

mm apical to the canal orifice), middle (midpoint between coronal and apical references), and

apical (2 mm coronal to the anatomic apex). At each level, canal configurations were recorded

as C1–C5 according to the Fan classification. Categorical variables were compared using

Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test (p<0.05).

Results: Cases were most frequent in the 21–30 age group (40.4%), and males comprised

77.78% of patients; sex distribution did not differ across age groups (p=0.847). In 159 teeth, the

most common types were C1 (52.8%) and C2 (29.6%) coronally; C2 (28.3%) and C3a (22.6%)

in the middle; and C4 (28.9%) and C3b (22.6%) apically. C5 occurred only apically (0.6%). Fan

type distribution differed significantly among molar groups (p=0.021). Most cases were in

second molars (91.8%), followed by third (6.3%) and first molars (1.9%).

Conclusion: C-canal morphology varies across root levels and is predominantly observed in

mandibular second molars; three-level CBCT evaluation enables detailed morphological

mapping to support clinical planning.