Endodontic management of an unusual maxillary first molar with a single buccal root

The aim of this clinical article is to describe the unusual anatomy that was detected in a maxillary first molar during routine endodontic treatment.

Variation in Root and Root canal morphology especially in multirooted teeth presents a constant challenge for a clinician in their detection and management. The literature is replete with cases that have extra canal or Root but cases with fused Root and fewer numbers of canals are sparse.

This case report describes the endodontic management of one such unusual case of maxillary first molar presenting with a single fused buccal and a palatal Root. The confirmatory diagnosis of this morphologic aberration was done with the help of spiral computerized tomography, which revealed that the contralateral tooth also had a similar morphology.

Dental practitioners should always be aware of the fact that abnormalities need not be in form of extra Roots or Root canals; anomalies can also be in form of fewer number of Roots or Root canals.

A thorough knowledge of the complexities and variations of the Root canal system would help in avoiding some of the common iatrogenic access opening errors like perforations and excessive tooth removal caused during the search for the missing or extracanal.