Evaluation of the frequency of the second mesiobuccal canal and Vertucci classification of the meziobuccal roots in upper first and second molars in the Turkish subpopulation: a computed tomography study

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 1, 1 - 4, 28.03.2025

Güliz Rana Tellioğlu Avcı

Abstract

Aims: This study was to investigate the presence of the second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal in the mesiobuccal (MB) roots of the upper first and second molars and the MB canal configuration according to the Vertucci classification using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Methods: Five hundred and twenty patients’ three-dimensional CBCT images of upper first and second molars (n=1555) were analyzed for the presence of MB2 canals and canal configuration types of MB roots according to the Vertucci classification.
Results: MB2 canals were detected in 1141 (73.4%) of the 1555 teeth included in the study. There was a significant gender difference in the presence of MB2 canals (p=0.004). The presence of the MB2 canal was significantly higher in women than in females and males (41.5% and 58.5%, respectively) (p<0.05). The presence of MB2 canals was significantly higher in men (58.5%) than in women (41.5%) (p<0.05). The proportion of type 1 was significantly lower in teeth 16 (16.4%) and 26 (15.9%) than in teeth 17 (33.6%) and 27 (34.1%) (p<0.05). The proportion of type 2 and type 4 were significantly higher in teeth 16 than in teeth 17 (9.3% and 6.7% respectively) and 27 (9.3% and 6.7% respectively).
Conclusion: In parallel with previous studies, our study showed that the frequency of the presence of a second canal in the MB roots in maxillary molars is quite high. CBCT is an imaging technique that is now available in many private clinics and is not as difficult to access as before. We hope that our study will inform dentists who perform root canal treatment from a perspective of maxillary molars.

Keywords

Vertucci, mesiobuccal 2, cone beam computed tomography

Ethical Statement

The ethics committee approval of this study was granted by the Batman University ethics committee on 03.10.2024 with protocol number 2024107-01.

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