Frontiers corrects corresponding author on canine chevron lucency study
Bottom line
A Frontiers in Veterinary Science correction has updated the corresponding author on a recently published canine dental imaging study, naming Fernanda M. Lopes-Kubitza as the correct contact for the paper. The original research, published July 1, 2026, examined radiographic and cone-beam computed tomography, or CBCT, features of chevron lucency in 82 clinically healthy maxillary canine teeth from 41 dogs, and found CBCT showed stronger inter-observer agreement than intraoral radiography for identifying and classifying this normal periapical finding. The correction itself does not change the study’s data, methods, or conclusions. (frontiersin.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is mainly an authorship and correspondence update, but it points back to a clinically useful paper on a common diagnostic pitfall. Chevron lucency can resemble apical pathology on dental radiographs even when a tooth is healthy, and the study reinforces that CBCT may help when two-dimensional images are equivocal and clinicians are trying to avoid overcalling disease in strategic teeth like the maxillary canine. (frontiersin.org)
What to watch: Watch for whether the correction is formally posted on the article landing page and for follow-on work testing CBCT’s role in distinguishing normal chevron lucency from true endodontic disease in clinical cases. (frontiersin.org)
Key facts
- Journal
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science
- Correction type
- Corresponding author update
- Correct corresponding author
- Fernanda M. Lopes-Kubitza
- Original publication date
- July 1, 2026
- Study design
- Retrospective descriptive study
- Sample size
- 82 clinically healthy maxillary canine teeth from 41 dogs
- Imaging methods
- Intraoral radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)
- Main finding
- CBCT showed stronger inter-observer agreement than intraoral radiography for identifying and classifying chevron lucency
- Correction impact
- No change to data, methods, or conclusions
Frontiers in Veterinary Science has issued a correction to a July 2026 canine dental imaging paper, clarifying that Fernanda M. Lopes-Kubitza is the correct corresponding author for the study on chevron lucency in dogs’ maxillary canine teeth. Based on the available indexing and section listings, the change appears administrative rather than scientific, with no indication that the study’s results or interpretation were revised. (frontiersin.org)
The underlying article was published on July 1, 2026, in the journal’s Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Surgery section. It addressed a familiar diagnostic gray zone in veterinary dentistry: chevron lucency, a V-shaped periapical radiolucency that can be a normal anatomic finding in healthy teeth, but can also be mistaken on radiographs for a periapical lesion. Prior educational and clinical commentary has warned that this distinction matters, because misreading a normal variant can lead either to unnecessary treatment or to confusion about whether a strategic tooth is diseased. (frontiersin.org)
In the study, investigators at North Carolina State University retrospectively reviewed intraoral radiographs and CBCT images from 82 clinically healthy maxillary canine teeth in 41 client-owned dogs imaged between 2021 and 2025. Dogs with signs of fracture, discoloration, dentoalveolar trauma, severe periodontitis, endodontic disease, or other rostral maxillary pathology were excluded. The team evaluated chevron lucency presence, shape, symmetry, lamina dura appearance, periodontal ligament space, and surrounding periapical bone features across both imaging modalities. (frontiersin.org)
The main takeaway was that CBCT outperformed intraoral radiography for diagnostic reliability. The paper reported almost perfect inter-observer agreement for CBCT in assessing chevron lucency presence, shape, and symmetry, compared with moderate-to-substantial agreement for radiography. Irregular morphology was the most common pattern in both modalities, and heavier dogs had higher odds of chevron lucency detection. The authors concluded that CBCT should be considered when radiographic findings are inconclusive or when more detailed morphologic assessment is needed for decision-making. (frontiersin.org)
Industry and clinical commentary around chevron lucency lines up with that conclusion. Educational articles for practitioners have described the finding as a common normal variant that can mimic endodontic disease, particularly around canine teeth and incisors. They note that true pathology is more likely to look rounded or irregular in a way that remains centered on the apex across views, whereas a normal chevron effect is typically regular and V-shaped. Some guidance also recommends repeat imaging, altered tube-head positioning, specialist review, or advanced imaging when the picture is unclear. (veterinarypracticenews.com)
Why it matters: For general practitioners, dentists, and referral teams, the correction itself is minor, but the paper it points to is not. Maxillary canine teeth are functionally important, and decisions about extraction, endodontic therapy, monitoring, or referral can hinge on whether a periapical lucency is interpreted as normal anatomy or disease. This study adds evidence that CBCT can improve confidence and consistency in that distinction, which may help reduce both overtreatment of healthy teeth and missed endodontic pathology. (frontiersin.org)
It also lands as CBCT’s role in veterinary dental diagnosis appears to be expanding. Frontiers recently listed another accepted 2026 paper comparing CBCT with intraoral radiography for detecting endodontal disease in dogs, suggesting the field is moving toward a broader evidence base on when advanced imaging changes care. That’s relevant for hospitals weighing investment in imaging workflows, referral relationships, and case selection criteria. (frontiersin.org)
What to watch: The next step is whether the correction is fully reflected across all article records and whether follow-up studies define clearer imaging criteria, cost-benefit thresholds, and case indications for using CBCT to separate normal chevron lucency from true periapical disease in everyday practice. (frontiersin.org)