Endodontic management of mandibular canine with two roots and two canals: a rare case report

BACKGROUND: In general, mandibular canines have a single root and a single canal. The occurrence of two roots and two canals is a rare entity ranging from 1 to 5%. The anatomy of root canal morphology plays a decisive role in determining the conditions under which endodontic treatment can be performed effectively. Successful endodontic treatment comprises proper diagnosis, meticulous cleaning and shaping followed by three dimensional obturation. Failure to do so may lead to postoperative diseases, pain and further complications. This paper reports successful management of a mandibular canine with two roots and two canals. CASE PRESENTATION: 45-year-old Nepalese women with a non-significant medical history presented with a chief complaint of pain in a lower left front tooth. The pain disturbed her sleep and lingered for several minutes even after removal of a thermal stimulus. Clinical examination and testing revealed generalized severe attrition with tenderness to percussion in the mandibular left canine. Electric pulp test for all the mandibular anteriors revealed almost no response in the mandibular left canine. Intraoral periapical radiographs in different angulations were taken which revealed two roots and two canals. A clinical diagnosis of chronic irreversible pulpitis with symptomatic apical periodontitis was made and root canal therapy was performed following the standard protocols. CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of two roots and two canals in mandibular canine is very low, the clinician should always be mindful of variations in the number of roots and canals for proper management of such cases.