Root Anatomy and Root Canal Morphology of Maxillary Second Permanent Molars in a Chongqing Population: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study

Abstract

Background To investigate variations in the anatomy of root canals in permanent second molars of the upper jaw in a population in Chongqing, China, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Material/Methods CBCT imaging data of 400 second permanent molars of the upper jaws of 200 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patients’ gender, age, numbers of roots and canals, root fusion of permanent second molars of the maxilla on both sides, and morphological categories of root canals of mesiobuccal roots were recorded. The distances from the apices of the distobuccal and mesiobuccal roots to the buccal bone plate were measured. Results Of the 400 permanent second maxillary molars, 312 (78.0%) had three roots and 247 (61.75%) had three canals. Fused roots were observed in 126 (31.5%) teeth; of these, 67 (53.2%) had three canals and 44 (34.9%) had two canals. Morphologically, 297 (74.25%), 29 (7.25%), nine (2.25%) and 65 (16.25%) teeth had type I, II, III, and IV mesiobuccal root canals, respectively, with 103 (25.75%) having secondary mesiobuccal canals. The distances from the apices of the mesiobuccal, distobuccal, and single buccal roots to the surface of the buccal osseous lamella were 7.34±1.89 mm, 6.26±1.74 mm, and 8.60±2.56 mm, respectively. Conclusions The root form and canal shape of permanent second molars of the upper jaw varied greatly among the population of Chongqing, China. CBCT is a valuable method for assessing the complex anatomic morphology of teeth.

Cone beam computed tomography analysis of the root and canal morphology of the maxillary second molars in a Hail province of the Saudi population

“…Endodontic therapy is more challenging for practitioners since root canal structural patterns differ by ethnicity [ [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] ]. The effective management of periapical infections is crucial for the successful outcome of endodontic therapy.…”

Maxillary second molar with morphologic variations in number of roots & canals: Literature review & report of two cases

“…However, it is important to use caution when comparing the position of the root with the image obtained from radiography. 19 Occasionally, it might be challenging to understand morphologic differences on a radiograph. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritise the use of an endodontic microscope, and use an electronic apex locator.…”

“…They discovered that the Asian ethnic group had a higher occurrence of Vertucci type I configuration in maxillay molars, while the white group exhibited a greater variety of morphologies in the multiple root canal system. Xia Y et al 19 (Table 1) analysed CBCT imaging data of 400 permanent molars in the upper jaws. They found that 78.0% of second molars had three roots, and fused roots were identified in 31.5% of the teeth.…”

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Analysis of the Root Canal Morphology of Lower Second Molars in the Croatian Subpopulation

“…Root and root canal morphology of different types of teeth has been analyzed in different populations, such as the Indian, Chinese, Korean, Israeli, Brazilian and Saudi Arabian populations, and the results obtained indicate that certain variations in root and root canal morphology are genetically determined [17][18][19][20][27][28][29]. Furthermore, these observations can be used for various epidemiological studies or the study of the ethnic origin of an individual.…”

“…However, despite certain clues which might be present on orthopantomograms or periapical X-ray images, which are mainly used in daily clinical practice, radiographs are two-dimensional and it is often difficult to detect the presence of anatomical anomalies such as the "C"-shaped canal, radix entomolaris or paramolaris, or to determine the shape of multiple root canals and their possible merging into one canal. Therefore, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), which provides a three-dimensional analysis, is now widely used for diagnosis and in epidemiology as it is considered a suitable method to study the aforementioned anatomical variations in root canals, especially in epidemiologic studies [16][17][18][19]. It is a non-invasive method that allows the observation and analysis of teeth in all three planes, coronal, sagittal and transversal [20].…”