Root morphology of mandibular molars: a cone-beam computed tomography study

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the number and anatomical classification of roots and root canals of first and second mandibular molars using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in a Chilean population. Materials and methods: This study evaluated the CBCT scans of 289 patients aged between 14 and 86 years, obtaining a sample of 1022 mandibular first and second molars. The number of roots and root canals was evaluated according to the anatomical classification proposed by Ahmed in 2016. Data were analysed using Pearson's chi-squared test and ANOVA. Results: Nine hundred fifty-one (93.05%) molars had two roots, while the remaining 71 (6.95%) molars had one root. The most frequent root and root canal morphologies found were: (MM)-M-2 M-2 D-1 (29.65%), (MM)-M-2 M2-1 D-1 (22.3%) and (MM)-M-2 M-1 D-1 (13.4%) (M - mesial, D - distal), with a total of 32 different anatomical distributions. C-shaped canals were present in 56 molars and were more frequently found in women than in men (7.1% vs. 3.88%; p = 0.024). Conclusions: The analysis of internal anatomy using CBCT revealed a highly variable distribution of root canals. The most frequent morphology found in mandibular molars in a Chilean population was two roots and three canals.