Objective: To clarify the cause of artificial tooth-root fracture lines in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images caused by root canal filling materials and to enhance the diagnostic performance of CBCT.
Study design: We analyzed the CBCT images of 18 extracted human teeth (9 upper central incisors and 9 lower premolars) that were filled with a size 50 gutta-percha cone and inserted into tooth sockets in a human skull.
Results: The CBCT images of the incisors displayed artificial lines in the oblique directions, notably the mesiobuccal, distolingual, distobuccal and mesiolingual directions, but only rarely in the cross-directions (buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal). In the premolars, the reverse was true, with lines mainly in the cross-directions, mesial and distal directions particularly. The lines were predominantly at the cervical slice.
Conclusions: Artifacts resulting from root filling material appear along the long axis of the alveolar bones, and resemble root fractures.
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