Root and root canal morphology of maxillary premolars in the Saudi population: A review of literature

Introduction: To achieve the desired treatment outcomes following root canal treatment, clinicians must have extensive knowledge of root and root canal morphology before commencing the treatment. Hence, this article aimed to review the studies performed on the root and root canal morphology of maxillary premolars in the Saudi population and to investigate sex differences and bilateral occurrence of the morphology of these teeth. Materials and Methods: A thorough search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases was conducted. Nineteen studies concerning anatomical as well as case report studies were included and over 5120 permanent maxillary premolar teeth were evaluated in these studies. Results: Thirteen anatomic studies and six case reports included in this review examined root and/or root canal morphology of maxillary premolars in four provinces of Saudi Arabia. Various study methodologies have been implemented in these anatomic studies. The maxillary first premolars (MxFPs) showed two roots and two canals in an average of 63.2% and 92.2%, respectively. The majority of maxillary second premolars (MxSPs) had one root (84.4%) and two root canals (57.7%). Type IV canal configuration is the most frequent configuration in MxFP with an average of 64.4%, whereas Type I was seen in 47.1% of the MxSP. Conclusion: Both maxillary premolars showed anatomical diversity and this emphasizes the need for attention during endodontic management. In general, there are sparse studies on the Saudi population discussing the study's objectives and further studies are required for evaluating root and root canal morphology of maxillary premolars.