BackgroundTraditional radiography is limited in its ability to give reliable information on the number and morphology of root canals. The application of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) provides a non-invasive three-dimensional confirmatory diagnosis as a complement to conventional radiography. The aim of this study was to evaluate the root and canal morphology of mandibular premolars in a western Chinese population using CBCT scanning.MethodsThe sample included 149 CBCT images comprising 178 mandibular first premolars and 178 second premolars. The tooth position, number of roots and canals, and canal configuration according to Vertucci’s classification were recorded.ResultsThe results showed that 98% of mandibular first premolars had one root and 2% had two roots; 87.1% had one canal, 11.2% had two canals and 0.6% had three canals. The prevalence of C-shaped canals was 1.1%. All mandibular second premolars had one root; 97.2% had one canal and 2.2% had two canals. The prevalence of C-shaped canals was 0.6%.ConclusionsThe prevalence of multiple canals in mandibular first premolars was mainly of Type V, and mandibular second premolars had a low rate of canal variation in this western Chinese population. Root canal bifurcation occurred at the middle or apical third in most bicanal mandibular premolars. CBCT scanning can be used in the management of mandibular premolars with complex canal morphology.

Dental caries is a biofilm-dependent disease that largely relies on the ability of Streptococcus mutans to synthesize exopolysaccharides. Although the rnc gene is suggested to be involved in virulence mechanisms in many other bacteria, the information regarding it in S. mutans is very limited. Here, using deletion or overexpression mutant assay, we demonstrated that rnc in S. mutans significantly positively regulated exopolysaccharide synthesis and further altered biofilm formation. Meanwhile, the cariogenecity of S. mutans was decreased by deletion of rnc in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) rat model. Interestingly, analyzing the expression at mRNA level, we found the downstream vic locus was repressed by rnc in S. mutans. Using deep sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, for the first time, three putative microRNA-size small RNAs (msRNAs) targeting vicRKX were predicted in S. mutans. The expression levels of these msRNAs were negatively correlated with vicRKX but positively correlated with rnc, indicating rnc probably repressed vicRKX expression through msRNAs at the post-transcriptional level. In all, the results present that rnc has a potential role in the regulation of exopolysaccharide synthesis and can affect vicRKX expressions via post-transcriptional repression in S. mutans. This study provides an alternative avenue for further research aimed at preventing caries.

BackgroundTogether with diagnosis and treatment planning, a good knowledge of the root canal system and its frequent variations is a necessity for successful root canal therapy. The selection of instrumentation techniques for variants in internal anatomy of teeth has significant effects on the shaping ability and cleaning effectiveness. The aim of this study was to reveal the differences made by including variations in the internal anatomy of premolars into the study protocol for investigation of a single instrumentation technique (hand ProTaper instruments) assessed by microcomputed tomography and three-dimensional reconstruction.MethodsFive single-root premolars, whose root canal systems were classified into one of five types, were scanned with micro-CT before and after preparation with a hand ProTaper instrument. Instrumentation characteristics were measured quantitatively in 3-D using a customized application framework based on MeVisLab. Numeric values were obtained for canal surface area, volume, volume changes, percentage of untouched surface, dentin wall thickness, and the thickness of dentin removed. Preparation errors were also evaluated using a color-coded reconstruction.ResultsCanal volumes and surface areas were increased after instrumentation. Prepared canals of all five types were straightened, with transportation toward the inner aspects of S-shaped or multiple curves. However, a ledge was formed at the apical third curve of the type II canal system and a wide range in the percentage of unchanged canal surfaces (27.4-83.0%) was recorded. The dentin walls were more than 0.3 mm thick except in a 1 mm zone from the apical surface and the hazardous area of the type II canal system after preparation with an F3 instrument.ConclusionsThe 3-D color-coded images showed different morphological changes in the five types of root canal systems shaped with the same hand instrumentation technique. Premolars are among the most complex teeth for root canal treatment and instrumentation techniques for the root canal systems of premolars should be selected individually depending on the 3-D canal configuration of each tooth. Further study is needed to demonstrate the differences made by including variations in the internal anatomy of teeth into the study protocol of clinical RCT for identifying the best preparation technique.