Frequency of C-shaped Root Canal in Mandibular Second Molars of a Colombian Population: Tomographic Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: The C-shaped root canal system is a common anatomical variation in mandibular second molars with root fusion, with a prevalence of 2.7% to 44.5%. Objective: To estimate the frequency of C-shaped root canals in mandibular second molars by means of computed tomography scans taken from patients who attended radiological centres. Materials and methods: A total of 120 mandibular second molars were evaluated. The frequency and type of C-shaped root canal were determined according to the gender and location of the tooth. Invivo5 software was used. For statistical analysis the Chi-squared test (p=0.05) was performed. The C-shape root canal was categorized based on Fan's classification and the presence of notches and grooves based on the classification of Shemesh et al. 2017. Results: The frequency of C-shaped root canals in the studied population was 25%, with a significant difference in terms of gender. The C-shaped root canal at the level of the cervical and apical root thirds was more frequent for type II and in the middle for type III. It was found that 6.7% of the studied population had type I according to the Shemesh et al. classification, the right side occurring more frequently (62.5%); while 3.4% had type III where the left side happened more frequently (75%). Conclusions: This is one of the few studies carried out in Colombia related to the frequency of the C-shaped root canals, and it was determined that there is a higher frequency in the female gender (33.3%).