Root and canal anatomy of mandibular first molar teeth of an Indian population

Abstract

Aim: The current study evaluated the root and root canal anatomy of permanent mandibular first molar teeth of an Indian population. Materials and Methods: A total of 486 freshly extracted human permanent noncarious mandibular first molar teeth were acquired from a pool of extracted teeth of patients of indigenous Indian population. The root canal morphology (including the root numbers) and the anatomy of the root canal system (including the number and type of canals based on Vertucci's classification) were evaluated using cone-beam computed tomography. Results: Predominantly, the studied specimens exhibited two roots with a prevalence of 86.84%, followed by three roots with a prevalence of 13.16%. The third root was exclusively found on the lingual aspect of distal roots. The two- and three-rooted permanent mandibular first molars exhibited two, three, and four in 1.64%, 55.34%, and 43.02% of teeth, respectively. In the mesial roots, the most common pattern was Type IV (54.94%), followed by Type II (42.38%) and Type I (2.68%). In the distal roots, the most common pattern was Type I (53.29%), followed by Type II (31.06%), Type IV (9.47%), Type III (4.74%), and Type V (1.44%). The three-rooted permanent mandibular first molars exhibited Type I canal configuration in 100% of the specimens in the extra root. Conclusion: The most common morphology of permanent mandibular first molars of an Indian population was the two-rooted teeth with three canals (two mesial and one distal). The root canal configurations most commonly seen were Type IV in mesial roots and Type I in the distal roots. In teeth with three roots, the extra root it was located lingually and exhibited Type I root canal configuration.