Prevalence of extra root canal orifices of maxillary first permanent molars in a Saudi subpopulation utilizing microcomputed tomography

Abstract

Aim: To study the prevalence of additional root canal orifices of upper first permanent molars in Saudi subpopulation in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, utilizing micro-computed tomography X-ray (micro-CT). Materials and methods: One hundred extracted upper first permanent molars of Saudi patients were included in the study. Micro-CT was used to detect the prevalence of extra root canal orifices of the permanent upper first molars. Results: The evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) images of this study showed that of 100 upper permanent first molars scanned and analyzed, 10.53% had 6 pulp canal orifices, 35.09% had 5 pulp canal orifices, 47.37% had 4 pulp canal orifices and 7.01% had 3 pulp canal orifices. Conclusion: The current data showed the highest prevalence of 4 and 5 root canal orifices compared to 3 and 6 root canal orifices. Clinical significance: The knowledge of anatomic variations of teeth before starting root canal treatment can help dentists to detect and manage all root canals successfully.