Detection of permanent three-rooted mandibular first molars by cone-beam computed tomography imaging in Taiwanese individuals.
This study determined the prevalence of permanent three-rooted mandibular first molars and their morphology among a Taiwanese population by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Images from 744 patients were screened to obtain 123 samples for this study. All permanent mandibular first molars were evaluated in axial sections from the pulpal floor to the apices of the roots to determine the number of roots. The interorifice distances from the distolingual (DL) canal to the mesiobuccal (MB) and distobuccal (DB) canals were also estimated. The prevalence of permanent three-rooted mandibular first molars was 33.33%, with a bilateral incidence of a symmetrical distribution of 53.65%. There was a significantly greater incidence of three-rooted teeth on the right side of the mandible than on the left, but gender did not show a significant relationship with this variant prevalence.The mean interorifice distances from the DL canal to the DB, MB, and ML canals of the permanent three-rooted mandibular molars were 2.7, 4.4, and 3.5 mm, respectively. The high prevalence of the DL root in permanent mandibular first molars among the Taiwanese (Chinese) population and estimations of the interorifice distance of such teeth might be useful for successful endodontic treatments.
School of Dentistry, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Ming-Gene
MG
Tu
Heng-Li
HL
Huang
Shui-Sang
SS
Hsue
Jui-Ting
JT
Hsu
San-Yue
SY
Chen
Ming-Jia
MJ
Jou
Chi-Cheng
CC
Tsai
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008875:Middle Aged; D008963:Molar / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009811:Odontometry / Q000379:methods; D013624:Taiwan; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult