Evaluation of the prevalence and location of second mesiobuccal canals in 2100 upper first and second molar teeth: A cone beam computed tomography study

It is essential to undertake thorough preparation, debridement and filling of all root canals in order to achieve a clinically successful treatment outcome. A total of 525 CBCT images of both maxillary first and second molars were analyzed. The observations and measurements were positioned 1 millimeter (mm) apically from the pulp base to standardize the methodology for the detection of the second mesiobuccal canal (MB2). To assess the distances between the canals and the relationship between the presence of MB2 and mesiobuccal (MB) root length, MB root length was quantified in millimeters. IBM SPSS Version 21.0 was employed for statistical analyses, with a type I error level of 5% accepted. MB2 was identified in 36.5% of the first maxillary molar (1MM) and second maxillary molar (2MM) teeth of the patients included in the study. When the frequency of MB2 was evaluated according to gender and right-left side, no statistically significant difference was found (p>0.05). When examining the relationship between the presence of MB2 and the length of the MB root, it was observed that only in the left second molars with MB2 present, the root length was slightly shorter. It is our contention that this study will furnish dentists with crucial data that will enhance the efficacy of root canal therapy for these teeth.