The Prevalence and Location of the Second Mesiobuccal Canals in Maxillary First and Second Molars Assessed by Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Objective This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence and location of the second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal in the mesiobuccal root of the maxillary first molar (MFM) and the maxillary second molar (MSM) through cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. Methods One thousand two hundred CBCT images of the MFM and MSM were divided equally and analyzed. To standardize the methodology of MB2 detection, the observation and measurements were located at the pulpal floor by 1 mm apically. The distances between canals were calculated from the center point of the MB2 canal (PMB2) to the center point of both the first mesiobuccal canal (PMB1) and the palatal canal (PP). The data were provided in the form of frequencies and percentages. The chi-square test was used to analyze the differences among maxillary molars, while the significance level was set at 0.05. Results The prevalence of the MB2 canal in the MFM and MSM was 46.7% (p=0.020) and 17.7% (p=0.457), respectively. Additionally, the prevalence of the MB2 canal was more frequent in females. The average distance between PMB1 and PMB2 for MFM and MSM was 1.87±0.42 mm and 1.24±0.76 mm, respectively. Furthermore, the average distances of PMB2 and PP were 0.74±0.21 mm and 0.43±0.18 mm for MFM and MSM, respectively. Conclusion The MB2 canal was found in 386 (32.2%) of the maxillary molars. The Saudi people have a high possibility of discovering the MB2 canal. The CBCT is a useful and high-precision diagnostic tool not only for detecting but also for locating in vivo MB2 canal in the mesiobuccal root of maxillary molars.