Abstract
BackgroundTo determine the root canal morphology of human permanent maxillary and mandibular teeth in a Malaysian subpopulation using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).MethodsA total of 208 CBCT images were examined retrospectively. Prevalence of an extra root/canal and internal morphology based on Vertucci’s classification were observed in human maxillary and mandibular permanent teeth. Variations in the external and internal morphology were compared in relation to gender and tooth side (left vs right) using Pearson Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests with significance level set at p < 0.05.ResultsIn the maxillary arch, the prevalence of three canals were observed in 0.3% of first premolars and two canals in 46.5% of second premolars. Males displayed significantly higher prevalence of two canals in maxillary second premolars than females (p < 0.05). The prevalence of a second mesiobuccal canal in maxillary first and second molars were 36.3 and 8.5%, respectively. Males displayed significantly higher prevalence of a second mesiobuccal canal in maxillary second molars than females (p < 0.05). The prevalence of a second palatal canal in maxillary first and second molars were 0.9 and 0.6%, respectively. In the mandibular arch, the prevalence of two canals were observed in 5.1% of central incisors, 12.3% of lateral incisors, 6.1% of canines, 18.7% of first premolars and 0.5% of second premolars. The prevalence of a middle mesial canal, second distal canal and extra root (radix entomolaris) were detected in 1.9, 19.5 and 21.4% of mandibular first molars, respectively. The prevalence of a C-shaped canal was observed in 48.7% of mandibular second molars. Females displayed significantly higher prevalence of a C-shaped canal in the right mandibular second molars than males (p < 0.05). No other statistically significant differences in root anatomy and root canal morphology were observed in relation to gender and tooth side.ConclusionsWide variations in the root canal morphology exist among Malaysians. CBCT is a clinically useful tool in the identification of external and internal morphological variations in the human teeth.
Highlights
To determine the root canal morphology of human permanent maxillary and mandibular teeth in a Malaysian subpopulation using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)
Sample selection The present study consisted of 208 CBCT images of maxillary and mandibular permanent teeth that had been taken from patients who visited the Oral Health Centre at International Medical University (IMU) for diagnosis and preoperative assessment for implants, surgical extraction and orthodontic treatment
In endodontic cases deemed appropriate for the use of CBCT, a smaller field of view which is associated with lower radiation dose and high-resolution images, is recommended when establishing the primary diagnosis [16]
Summary
To determine the root canal morphology of human permanent maxillary and mandibular teeth in a Malaysian subpopulation using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A few studies [8,9,10,11] had been conducted to evaluate the root canal morphology in a Malaysian population. Abd Latib et al [8] reported the prevalence of a second mesiobuccal canal in maxillary first molars among Malaysians was 18% for males and 10% for females. Choi et al [9] compared the incidence of a second mesiobuccal canal in maxillary first molars between Caucasians and Malaysians. An in vitro study by Nie et al [11] reported that the occurrence of C-shaped canal in mandibular second molars among Malaysians was 8 (3.3%) out of 241 cases or 88.8% of total number of mandibular molars. C-shaped canal was found to be more common in the Chinese race in which it was proven to be statistically significant [11]
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