(PR67) Investigation of the Internal Anatomy of Contralateral Maxillary Molars

Abstract:

Objective: This ex vivo investigation aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively assess and compare the internal anatomy of contralateral maxillary molars by means of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans.

Methods: Eighteen maxillary molar pairs were selected and mounted in customized jigs and CBCT scanned (0.125mm voxel size). The analysis was performed using Horos and Sicat (Sicat, Bonn, Germany) software. Data collected included measurements of relevance for Endodontics. Statistical analysis was performed with significance set at 5% (Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA and t test).

Results: For most quantitative variables, no significant difference was found between contralateral teeth. However, second molars presented a larger distance from the floor of the pulp chamber to furcation, higher dentinal thickness on the palatal root, and smaller MB1/MB2 inter-orifice distance (t test, p<.05) compared to first molars. Pulp stones were present in 69.4% of the cases (symmetry in 92.3%). Incidence of accessory canals was 38.9% for MB roots, 11.1% for DB, and 30.6% for the P (symmetry in 31.8%). Isthmus was identified in 27.8% of the cases (symmetry in 37.5%). The most prevalent canal configuration was Vertucci type II (33.3%), followed by type IV (25%), and VI (22.2%). Symmetry for Vertucci configuration was found in 72.2% of the cases.

Conclusions: Contralateral maxillary molars showed a high degree of similarity for quantitative measurements but not as similar for qualitative evaluations. The variability in root canal configuration highlights the importance of a three-dimensional pre-operative evaluation of the internal anatomy when root canal treatment is required for molar teeth.