Prevalence of C-shaped canal and related variations in maxillary and mandibular second molars in the Indian Subpopulation: A cone-beam computed tomography analysis

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and anatomical configuration of the C-shaped canal in permanent maxillary and mandibular second molars in the Greater Noida population by compiling the results of data that used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: CBCT images were taken from the archive in the department of oral medicine and radiology taken for diagnostic purposes referred by other departments in the dental college. Five hundred CBCT records of patients, between the age group of 15–40 years, containing maxillary second molars and mandibular second molars were selected and reviewed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test to find out the most common configuration of the C-shaped canal between maxillary and mandibular second molars. RESULTS: Hundred and ten out of 500 patients had C-shaped canals (22%). Among them, 58 teeth (52.7%) were continuous C-shaped canals, 41 teeth (37.3%) were semicolon-shaped canals and 11 teeth (10%) had separated canals. (Chi-square test value = 8.26, P = 0.024). Statistically significant difference was found in configuration types. Among the jaw type, 62 maxillary second molar presented with C-shaped canal (25.1%) and 48 mandibular second molar presented with C-shaped canal (18.9%) (Chi-square test value = 3.87, P = 0.276). However, the difference was statistically insignificant in relation to the jaw type. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitation of the study, we can conclude that the overall prevalence of C-shaped canals was 22% and the most common C-shaped canal configuration type was continuous (52.7%). However, no statistically significant difference was found in relation to jaw type.