Author(s)

Jean Marie Kayembe Bukama^1*, Jean Paul Sekele Issourdi², Fidele Nyimi Bushabu^3,4, Augustin Mantshumba Milolo², Steve Sekele Masin⁵, M. A. Agbor⁶, Dieudonne Nyembue Tshipukana⁷, Alain Nyengele Kayembe², Hubert Ntumba Mulumba²

¹Endodontic Unit, Service of Operative Dentistry, Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
²Prosthodontics Services, Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
³Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
⁴Department of Oral Maxillofacial Head and Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
⁵Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
⁶Universite des Montagne Dental School, Bangangté, Cameroon.
⁷Department of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: There is paucity of literature on the determination of the root canal length of Bantu subjects in dental professional practicing in Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo in particular. Aims: The aim of the present study was to determine the root canal length of teeth of Bantu patients extracts attending the Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa University. Methods and Material: Prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in the service of Conservative Dentistry. The patients suffering with pulpitis of permanent teeth which were selected for root canal treatment during the period of January 2014 to December 2016 were included. All patients whose main root canals were inaccessible, teeth carrying prosthesis, teeth with large coronal decay, teeth having periapical periodontitis, supernumerary teeth, wisdom and primary teeth were excluded. Results: The upper canines presented some significant longer canals compared to the lower canine (23.4 ± 2.3 mm and 21.6 ± 1.8 mm). Palatal canals of the first and second molar were respectively longer as compared to the superior teeth canals (21.5 ± 1 mm, 21.3 ± 2 mm). The distal canals of the first and second molar were the longest in the mandibular arch respectively measuring 20.7 ± 2.0 mm and 21.5 ± 1.7 mm. Conclusion: Data obtained from Bantu patients show slightly shorter roots compared to some European populations, but longer than some Asian populations.

Bantu, Length, Root Canal, X-Ray

Bukama, J. , Issourdi, J. , Bushabu, F. , Milolo, A. , Masin, S. , Agbor, M. , Tshipukana, D. , Kayembe, A. and Mulumba, H. (2018) Determination of the Root Canal Length of Teeth of Bantu Patients Attending the Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa University. Open Journal of Stomatology, 8, 16-23. doi: 10.4236/ojst.2018.81002.