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Applied Sciences
Volume 15
Issue 24
10.3390/app152413142
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Root Canal Detection on Endodontic Radiographs with Use of Viterbi Algorithm

by
Barbara Obuchowicz
1,
Joanna Zarzecka
1,
Przemysław Mazurek
2,
Marzena Jakubowska
1,
Rafał Obuchowicz
3,
Michał Strzelecki
4,
Dorota Oszutowska-Mazurek
5,
Adam Piórkowski
6,* and
Julia Lasek
7
1
Department of Conservative Dentistry with Endodontics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Montelupich 4, 31-155 Kraków, Poland
2
Department of Signal Processing and Multimedia Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland
3
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-663 Kraków, Poland
4
Institute of Electronics, Łódź University of Technology, 93-590 Łódź, Poland
5
Department of Histology and Embryology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
6
Department of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, AGH University of Kraków, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
7
Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Kraków, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(24), 13142; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152413142
Submission received: 28 October 2025 / Revised: 8 December 2025 / Accepted: 11 December 2025 / Published: 14 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Vision-Based Biomedical Image Processing)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Periapical radiographs remain the first-line imaging modality in endodontics due to accessibility and low radiation dose, whereas cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is reserved for inconclusive cases or suspected anatomical complexity. We propose a physics- and geometry-aware preprocessing pipeline coupled with sliding-window Viterbi tracking to enhance canal visibility and recover plausible root canal trajectories directly from routine periapical images. The pipeline standardizes row-wise brightness, compensates for the cone-like tooth density profile (Tukey window), and suppresses noise prior to dynamic-programming inference, requiring only minimal operator input (two-point orientation and region of interest). In a retrospective evaluation against micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)/CBCT reference anatomy, the approach accurately localized canals on periapicals under study conditions, suggesting potential as a rapid, chairside aid when 3D imaging is unavailable or deferred.
Keywords: CBCT; periapical radiographs; Viterbi algorithm; line estimation CBCT; periapical radiographs; Viterbi algorithm; line estimation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Obuchowicz, B.; Zarzecka, J.; Mazurek, P.; Jakubowska, M.; Obuchowicz, R.; Strzelecki, M.; Oszutowska-Mazurek, D.; Piórkowski, A.; Lasek, J. Root Canal Detection on Endodontic Radiographs with Use of Viterbi Algorithm. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 13142. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152413142

AMA Style

Obuchowicz B, Zarzecka J, Mazurek P, Jakubowska M, Obuchowicz R, Strzelecki M, Oszutowska-Mazurek D, Piórkowski A, Lasek J. Root Canal Detection on Endodontic Radiographs with Use of Viterbi Algorithm. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(24):13142. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152413142

Chicago/Turabian Style

Obuchowicz, Barbara, Joanna Zarzecka, Przemysław Mazurek, Marzena Jakubowska, Rafał Obuchowicz, Michał Strzelecki, Dorota Oszutowska-Mazurek, Adam Piórkowski, and Julia Lasek. 2025. "Root Canal Detection on Endodontic Radiographs with Use of Viterbi Algorithm" Applied Sciences 15, no. 24: 13142. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152413142

APA Style

Obuchowicz, B., Zarzecka, J., Mazurek, P., Jakubowska, M., Obuchowicz, R., Strzelecki, M., Oszutowska-Mazurek, D., Piórkowski, A., & Lasek, J. (2025). Root Canal Detection on Endodontic Radiographs with Use of Viterbi Algorithm. Applied Sciences, 15(24), 13142. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152413142

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