Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to analyze the root and canal morphology of the maxillary permanent first molars in an Emirati population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).MethodsTwo hundred and sixty-one CBCT scans were acquired. The data were extracted and anonymized to remove all patient identifiers. Two observers (an endodontic resident and an endodontist) evaluated all scans on diagnostic quality monitors.ResultsThe prevalence of a second mesiobuccal canal (MB2) was 80.1% in all examined samples. Type II Vertucci classification, was the most common canal configuration (59%) in the mesiobuccal root, followed by Types I (19.9%) and IV (15.3%), while Type III was the least common (5.7%). Types I, II, and IV were significantly more common in the 21–40-year age group (P < 0.001), while Type III was observed significantly more often in the < 20-year age group (P < 0.001). No significant effect of gender on the prevalence of Vertucci classification in the mesiobuccal root of maxillary first molars (P = 0.74) was found. Analysis of bilateral symmetry showed that 80% teeth had perfect bilateral symmetry, whereas 20% were asymmetrical. Type II canal configuration showed the highest prevalence of bilateral symmetry (48.7%), followed by Type I (15%) and Type IV (10%), while Type III showed the least prevalence of symmetry (3%).ConclusionsThis was the first study to analyze the prevalence of MB2 canal in an Emirati population. Our results indicate high prevalence of MB2 (80.1%) and emphasize the importance of using advanced techniques to locate the MB2 canal.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to analyze the root and canal morphology of the maxillary permanent first molars in an Emirati population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)
5-years prospective clinical study, which included 5600 root canal-treated and retreated teeth, it was concluded that failure to locate and manage existing Second mesiobuccal canal (MB2) in maxillary first molars would detrimentally affect the prognosis of root canal treatment [5]
Multiple approaches have been suggested to facilitate the localization of the MB2 canal and other anatomical variations, such as acquisition of knowledge regarding the differences in canal anatomy in different races and ethnic groups and using advanced clinical techniques such as dental operating microscope (DOM), stains, troughing with ultrasonic, and CBCT [9, 16, 31]
Summary
The aim of this study was to analyze the root and canal morphology of the maxillary permanent first molars in an Emirati population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The root and canal morphology of the maxillary first molars are frequently studied because of their complex anatomy and being one of the most common teeth to have root canal treatment [1, 5]. 5-years prospective clinical study, which included 5600 root canal-treated and retreated teeth, it was concluded that failure to locate and manage existing MB2 in maxillary first molars would detrimentally affect the prognosis of root canal treatment [5]. Despite the recent advances in available diagnostic tools to evaluate maxillary first molars canal anatomy and locate MB2, such as the dental operating microscope (DOM) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), the basic knowledge of maxillary first molar morphology and the prevalence of MB2, its variations and the effects of ethnicity on such variations is essential
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