Apical root anatomy of impacted maxillary canines. A clinical and radiographic study.

When planning autotransplantation of impacted maxillary canines, it is advantageous to know not only the position but also the root anatomy. Radiographic and clinical findings on the root anatomy of 65 impacted maxillary canines were compared. The apices were judged as straight or deflected. The positions of the canines were also recorded. Twenty-eight canines (43%) had a straight and 37 (57%) a deflected apex. The radiographic diagnosis was confirmed in 49 canines, which means a diagnostic accuracy of 75%. The misinterpretation, consisting of seven false-positive and nine false-negative diagnoses, was due to insufficient radiographic examination (7 canines), observation errors (7 canines), and limitations of radiographic examination (2 canines). No association was found between the root anatomy and position. The results show than an optimal radiographic examination and knowledge of any apical deflection are valuable aids to operative assessment of impacted maxillary canines.