THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ANATOMY OF HUMAN MANDIBULAR CANINE TEETH WITH 2 ROOTS

This study investigated the internal anatomy of 65 human mandibular ca nines with two well-defined roots. The teeth were decalcified and inje cted with gelatin coloured with india ink. Diaphanization was carried out using clear resin to allow permanent preservation. It was found th at all mandibular canines with two roots had two root canals. Lateral canals were found in 68.9% of teeth and 19.7% had lateral canals at th e bifurcation. The results of the external measurements (cusp tip to r oot apex) showed that the average buccal root length was 23.0 mm and t he average lingual root length was 22.7 mm. The maximum and minimum bu ccal lengths were 26.7 mm and 17.9 mm respectively and the maximum and minimum lingual lengths were 27.2 mm and 17.1 mm respectively. The bu ccal root was the larger of the two in 47.7% of teeth and 43.1% had ro ots of equal size. The lingual root was larger than the buccal root in 9.2% of cases. Clinicians should be aware of the anatomical variation that exists for mandibular canines.