Dilemmas pertaining to three canals in the mesiobuccal root of a maxillary second molar: a case report

• Published in: Restorative dentistry & endodontics Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 172 - 177
• Main Authors: Arora, Ankit, Acharya, Shashi Rashmi, Saraswathi, Muliya Vidya, Sharma, Padmaja, Ather, Amber
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Three canals; Maxillary second molar; Mesiobuccal root; Canal configuration; Multidetector computed tomography
• ISSN: 2234-7658; 2234-7666

The mesiobuccal root of the maxillary molars is well known to pose a hindrance during endodontic therapy. Presented here is a case of a maxillary left second molar where three canals were located in its mesiobuccal root with the use of visual and diagnostic aids. Difficulties encountered during the process of unveiling the tooth's internal anatomy were discussed. The dilemmas encountered pertained to the root canal configuration, the nomenclature of the extra canals, and the justification for the presence of a third canal. The root canal configuration of 3-2-1 was confirmed for the mesiobuccal root using information gained from clinical, radiographic, and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan findings. This case demonstrates the need for efforts to locate extra canals in the mesiobuccal root of the maxillary molars as their internal anatomy remains a mystery.