Cervical enamel projections in Chinese first permanent molars

Cervical enamel projections in relation to molar furcations may act as predisposing factors in periodontal attachment loss. Limited data are available documenting these features in Chinese teeth. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution in a sample of first permanent molars from Hong Kong Chinese. Three hundred and sixty-two extracted first molars (194 maxillary, 168 mandibular) were selected from the Prince Philip Dental Hospital tooth collection and examined using a dissection microscope for identification and classification. Cervical enamel projections were identified in 59 per cent of maxillary and 79 per cent of mandibular first molars. Buccal aspects were more frequently involved. Forty-nine per cent were Grade III (extending to the furcation area); over one-half were particularly slender while 18 per cent were discontinuous. A modification to the classification system is proposed in order to delineate these features in future studies.