Anatomical morphology of the root and root canal system of the second permanent molar in the Uygur people

To study the anatomical characteristics of the root and root canal system of the mandibular second permanent molar in the Uygur people and provide a reference for clinical practice.

A total of 125 mandibular second permanent molars were extracted from Uygur patients in hospitals in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Three-dimensional reconstruction was performed after micro-CT scanning. The number of root canals, the root canal type (Weine classification and Fan′s C-shaped canal classification) and the occurrence of lateral accessory canals were observed.

A sex difference was not detected in the root number or root form (χ² = 1.277, P = 0.259). The incidence of 2-rooted molars was 70.4% (n = 88); type 2-1 canals were most common in the mesial root, with an incidence of 29.5%, followed by type 1-1 and 2-2 canals (each with an incidence of 26.1%), and the distal root mostly had a type 1-1 canal (96.6%). The incidence of single-rooted molars was 28.8%, and the frequency of C-shaped (n = 28) and non-C-shaped (n = 8) single-rooted molars was 22.4% and 6.4%, respectively. A three-rooted molar was detected in one case. The incidence of accessory canals was 65.2%.

Uygur mandibular second molars are mainly composed of two roots, and the incidence of a single root and root canal fusion is low (including C-shaped canals). Two-rooted molars frequently have two mesial canals and one distal canal.