Purpose: To compare the accuracy of angulated periapical radiography and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the detection of missing root canals.
Methods: Before endodontic treatment, 200 teeth were scanned by CBCT and taken conventional periapical radiographs at the routine angle. During the root canal treatment, the radiograph was taken at an angle of 20-30 degree from the mesial or distal of the teeth with files in canal and the diagnosis of missing canals by angulated periapical radiography was compared with the image of CBCT. The data was analyzed using SPSS19.0 software package.
Results: Among the 200 teeth, missing canals were displayed in 8 cases by angulated periapical radiography, among which 3 were anterior teeth and 5 were molars. There were 4 anterior teeth and 11 molars with missing canals were found in CBCT. But the difference between the two methods was not significant(P>0.05).
Conclusions: The angulated periapical radiography and CBCT will assist the clinician in detection of missing root canals.