Tooth #29
Cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) used to enhance diagnosis and treatment planning.
Cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) used to enhance diagnosis and treatment planning.

Pre-Op

CBCT Sagittal View

CBCT Coronal View
Diagnostic and Treatment Considerations
- Radiographic difficulties: Moderate difficulty interpreting radiographs
- Canal & root morphology: Mandibular premolar with two roots
- Radiographic appearance of canals: Indistinct canal path
Preoperative evaluation and clinical testing supported a diagnosis of pulpal necrosis with symptomatic apical periodontitis. Conventional radiography displayed a mandibular premolar with atypical root morphology. Further study using Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) disclosed the presence of a horizontal root fracture.
All other considerations aside, the presence of a mandibular premolar with two roots would have made endodontic treatment very difficult. However, the additional diagnostic information obtained by the CBCT helped to determine
a more appropriate treatment plan (extraction) avoiding endodontic failure and further complications.