Root and canal morphology of mandibular first premolars in a Polish population: A cone-beam computed tomography study.

Background: This study aimed to assess the root and canal morphology of mandibular first premolars in a Polish population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to correlate the findings with tooth position and patient gender. Additionally, the symmetry of root and canal anatomy between the right and left sides in the same patient was evaluated.

Materials and methods: The root and root canal morphology of 479 mandibular first premolars of 277 Polish patients with a mean age of 43.2 years, varying from 18 to 76 years were analyzed using CBCT. In 202 patients, the available documentation allowed a bilateral symmetry assessment.

Results: Among the 479 examined premolars, 467 teeth (97.5%) had a single root, 11 (2.3%) had two roots, and one (0.2%) had three roots. Regarding canal configuration, 387 teeth (80.8%) had a single canal, 88 (18.4%) had two canals; and four (0.8%) had three canals. The most common canal configuration were type I (80.8%) and type V (14.6%). No statistically significant differences were observed in root or root canal morphology concerning tooth side and gender. A high degree of perfect symmetry (94.6%) was noted.

Conclusions: Single-root with one root canal was the most prevalent of first mandibular premolar in the Polish population. However, incidence of another root and canal configurations were detected. These findings may help Polish dentists in diagnosis, decision-making and root canal treatment of premolar teeth.