• Chih-Chia Huang, Ya-Chi Chang, Meng-Che Chuang, Tat-Minc Lai, Juin-Yih Lai, Bor-Shiunn Lee, and Chun-Pin Lin.
• Department of Dentistry, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
• J Formos Med Assoc. 2010 Apr 1; 109 (4): 303308303-8.

Background/PurposeCone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) can provide valuable data for root canal systems of human teeth. This study used CBCT to evaluate the number of roots and canals in mandibular first molars in Taiwanese individuals.MethodsWe screened 151 patients (76 male and 75 female) scheduled for CBCT scan prior to implantation, or orthodontic, endodontic, or periodontic treatment between June 2006 and March 2009 at the Department of Dentistry, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 237 image samples of mandibular first molars were obtained and analyzed for their number of roots and canals.ResultsWe found that 177 (74.7%) mandibular first molars had two roots and 60 (25.3%) had three roots. Of the 237 teeth, 133 (56.1%) had three canals, 96 (40.5%) had four, and eight (3.4%) had two canals. Of the 86 patients (43 male and 43 female) with bilateral mandibular first molars, 22 (25.6%, 15 male and 7 female) had bilateral three-rooted mandibular first molars, and six (7.0%, 4 male and 2 female) had unilateral three-rooted mandibular first molars. The chi(2) test showed a significantly higher incidence of three-rooted mandibular first molars in male (44.2%, 19/43) than in female (20.9%, 9/43, p = 0.038) subjects.ConclusionOur results showed a high overall incidence (32.6%) of three-rooted mandibular first molars in Taiwanese individuals. CBCT could be a valuable tool for identifying an extra distolingual root in mandibular first molars.(c) 2010 Formosan Medical Association & Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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