Root and Canal Morphology of Mandibular Second Molars in an Indian Population

Introduction: There are no reports on the root canal anatomy of Indian mandibular second molars. The aim of this study was to investigate the root and canal morphology of Indian mandibular second molars by a canal staining and tooth clearing technique. Methodology: Mandibular second molars (345) were collected for analyzing the morphology of the roots and root canal systems. The teeth were subjected to a canal staining and clearing technique; after which, the following features were examined under magnification: number and morphology of roots, number of root canals, root canal system configurations (Vertucci's classification and Gulabivala's additional classes), number of apical foramina, and intercanal communications. Results: Most of the second molars had two separate roots (87.8%) with three canals. C-shaped canal morphology was observed in 7.5% of the teeth examined. Both the mesial and distal roots of two rooted molars showed wide variations in canal number and configuration. Type IV and type I canal anatomies were most common in the mesial and distal roots of two rooted second molars, respectively. Approximately 54.84% of the teeth showed two apical foramina, and one specimen (3.8%) of the C-shaped roots showed three apical foramina. Conclusion: The most common root morphology in Indian second molars is the two rooted morphology with three canals. Both the mesial and distal roots showed wide variations in canal anatomy with type IV and type I canal configuration predominating in the mesial and distal roots, respectively. (J Endod 2010;36:1319-1322)