This study, which utilized CBCT images, uncovered a higher prevalence of bifid mandibular canals than what has been reported in previous studies using conventional radiography techniques.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, height, location and morphology of maxillary sinus septa in dentate, partially dentate and edentulous adults as well as in mixed dentition children using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for maxillary sinus surgical interventions. Subjects and Methods: Five hundred and fifty-four sides in the CBCT scans of 272 patients (30 children and 242 adults) were retrospectively analyzed. The prevalence, location and morphology were assessed in axial, sagittal, cross-sectional and panoramic 3-dimensional images. The height of septa was measured with the angle between the direction of the septum and median palatine suture. The differences among age, localization and measurements were statistically analyzed. Results: The prevalence of maxillary sinus segments with septa was 58%. There were a total of 13 (3.2%) septa of completely edentulous (CE), 198 (53.9%) septa of edentate and 14 (3.8%) septa of the mixed dentition maxillary segments. The location of septa observed in all study groups demonstrated a greater prevalence (69.1%) in the middle region than in the anterior and posterior regions. No statistically significant differences were observed with regard to gender or age, for septum height (p > 0.05). However, maxillary sinus septa are higher in partially edentulous patients than edentate and CE ones (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Septa of various heights and courses developed in all parts of the maxillary sinus, therefore to prevent possible complications during sinus surgery, extensive evaluation with an appropriate radiographic technique was indispensable.

In this study, a novel AI system based on deep learning methods was evaluated to determine its real-time performance of CBCT imaging diagnosis of anatomical landmarks, pathologies, clinical effectiveness, and safety when used by dentists in a clinical setting. The system consists of 5 modules: ROI-localization-module (segmentation of teeth and jaws), tooth-localization and numeration-module, periodontitis-module, caries-localization-module, and periapical-lesion-localization-module. These modules use CNN based on state-of-the-art architectures. In total, 1346 CBCT scans were used to train the modules. After annotation and model development, the AI system was tested for diagnostic capabilities of the Diagnocat AI system. 24 dentists participated in the clinical evaluation of the system. 30 CBCT scans were examined by two groups of dentists, where one group was aided by Diagnocat and the other was unaided. The results for the overall sensitivity and specificity for aided and unaided groups were calculated as an aggregate of all conditions. The sensitivity values for aided and unaided groups were 0.8537 and 0.7672 while specificity was 0.9672 and 0.9616 respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.032). This study showed that the proposed AI system significantly improved the diagnostic capabilities of dentists.

This study utilized CBCT images to identify bifid mandibular canals and accessory mental foramina in children. Cone-beam CT was found to be a useful technique for detecting secondary canals. However, despite the fact that CBCT uses less ionizing radiation than other types of three-dimensional imaging, unless the diagnostic information provided through CBCT improves treatment results, CBCT should not be recommended for use in children or adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate age- and sex-related changes in the anatomical relationships between the roots of the molars and premolars and the mandibular canal using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. A total of 243 patients (116 males, 127 females) aged 16-83 years for whom previous CBCT scans were available were enrolled in this study. The patients were subcategorized by sex and age (Group I, <21 years; Group II, 21-40 years; and Group III, >40 years). The distances between the mandibular canal and the molars and premolars were measured. The mandibular canal was significantly closer to the root apices of the second and third molars than to the apices of other evaluated teeth (p < 0.05). All measurements were significantly higher in male than in female subjects (p < 0.05). Group I subjects exhibited significantly shorter distances between the mandibular canal and root apices of the first and second premolars, and the molars, than those of Group II and III subjects (p < 0.05). Direct contact relationships were found in 1.6%, 3.3%, 3.3%, 16%, and 32.2% of teeth (running from the first premolar to the third molar, respectively). Age and sex influenced the anatomical relationships between mandibular teeth and the mandibular canal, and these should be considered when planning endodontic and surgical procedures to avoid potential nerve injury.