Radix mesiolingualis and radix distolingualis in a collection of permanent maxillary molars

Two lingual root structures are occasionally found on human permanent maxillary molars. One of these is the normal lingual root, which is always present, the other is a supernumerary structure which can be located either mesiolingually (radix mesiolingualis (RML)) or distolingually (radix distolingualis (RDL)). The available literature refers only to the existence and location of RML and RDL Very small materials have, quite simply, hitherto precluded a more detailed description of these roots. The large collection of extracted teeth at the School of Dentistry in Copenhagen now includes a non-random subcollection of 145 permanent maxillary molars, the root complex of which contains 2 lingual root structures. Based on this material it was possible to undertake a modern, systematic analysis of the macromorphological variation of RMLs and RDLs. In this study, which was mainly non-metric, criteria for the identification of RML and RDL were established. The analysis also showed that the lingual supernumerary roots were only rarely found on the first molar, but with increasing frequency on the second and third molars. Both separate and non-separate RML and RDL were observed. In the material, degrees of separation greater than 0.9 were registered, degrees of divergence up to approximately 45 degrees, an apical bend of approximately 90 degrees, and extreme apical slenderness. Even though the supernumerary roots described here do not occur very often, knowing about them is nevertheless clinically relevant in for example endodontic and surgical contexts.