A New Methodology to Determine the Orifice for Root Canal Configurations in First Permanent Molar Root and Canal...

Area of Science:

• Dental Anatomy
• Endodontics
• Radiology

Background:

• The precise anatomical boundary between the pulp chamber and root canal system in molars is not well-established in current literature.
• This ambiguity poses challenges in endodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present accurate methods for defining the pulp chamber-root canal transition zone.
• To evaluate these methods across various first molar root morphologies using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT).

Main Methods:

• Utilized micro-focus computed tomography (micro-CT) for high-resolution imaging of 86 mandibular and 101 maxillary first molars.
• Employed a stepwise approach, referencing the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and specific landmarks to generate automated cross-sectional slices.

Main Results:

• Accurate determination of the pulp chamber-root canal transition was achieved for both maxillary and mandibular teeth.
• Mandibular molars predominantly exhibited two separate roots (97.7%), with rare instances of a third disto-lingual root (2.3%). No fused roots were observed.
• Maxillary molars showed three separate roots in 92.1% of cases, with root fusion occurring in 7.9%. Unusual morphologies included one C-shaped and one mesotaurodont root canal system.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology effectively determines root orifice location across all observed molar morphological variations.
• This approach offers a reliable tool for anatomical studies and clinical endodontic procedures.