Tooth thickness at the furcation entrance of lower molars

Abstract

Better understanding of the furcation anatomy may serve to decrease the risk of pulpal injury during rotary odontoplasty, a procedure often used in conjunction with guided tissue regeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine (i) the tooth thickness about the furcation entrance of lower molars, and (ii) whether there is a relationship between tooth thickness and patient age. 40 mandibular 1st molars (M1) (mean age = 36.2; range 10-65 years) and 40 mandibular 2nd molars (M2) (mean age = 37.9; range 14-70 years) were collected. Age, gender and furcation involvement (if any) were noted for each tooth at the time of extraction. Teeth were sectioned in half, buccal-lingual, at the furcation entrance with a rotary diamond blade. A standardized linear reference scale was placed on each experimental section and an 8 x 10 in. photograph generated. The distance from the floor of the pulp chamber to 5 predetermined sites on the root surface was calculated. The data were expressed as (a) the mean of each site and (b) the mean of each tooth (the average of the 5 points of each tooth). Analysis of covariance failed to show a relationship between thickness measurements and gender or furcation involvement. Thus, the data was subjected to simple regression analysis to determine the relationship of age with tooth and cementum thickness. This study revealed that by site, the mean measurements ranged from 2.7-3.0 mm for both M1 and M2. The single least/greatest measurements of the 5 sites were for M1: 1.6/4.7 mm and for M2: 1.8/4.2 mm. By tooth, the average distance from the pulp to the root surface was 2.83 mm (+/- 0.49) for M1 and 2.88 mm (+/- 0.44) for M2. Regression analysis of tooth thickness with age was significant for M1 only. The maximum slope of the 5 sites was approximately 0.3 mm/10 years. No relationship was found between cementum thickness and age for either tooth group. The results of this study indicate that the majority of times the pulp is 1.6-4.2 mm from the root surface in the vicinity of the furcation entrance of lower 1st and 2nd molars. Although tooth thickness in this area may increase with age, the amount is not enough to forego judicious odontoplasty on older patients.

C-shaped Canal System in Mandibular Second Molars Part III: The Morphology of the Pulp Chamber Floor

“…The CEJ was the most reliable guide for locating the position of the pulp chamber under various conditions, even with a tilting tooth, because the pulp chamber floor was usually below the CEJ (11). In general, the distance from the pulpal floor to the furcation in mandibular second molars was approximately 3.0 mm, a distance that corroborated with the findings of Deutsch and Musikant (16) and Sterrett et al (17). Of the 44 specimens in this study, 17 teeth had caries or restorations, but the CEJ was easy to identify.…”

The Evaluation of Root Canal Morphology of the Mandibular First Molar in an Indian Population Using Spiral Computed Tomography Scan: An In Vitro Study

“…Sterrett et al (26) reported that the average distance from the pulp chamber floor to the furcation was 2.83 mm, and Deutsch and Musikant (3) reported the same distance to be 2.96 mm in mandibular molars. In our study, the distance at which the furcation was present from the floor of the pulp chamber was an average of 2.53 mm.…”

Evaluation of dentin abrasion during professional tooth cleaning in an in vitro model

“…In anterior teeth, the mean thickness of radicular dentin in the region of the cemento‐enamel junction varies between 1.38 mm (distal surface of mandibular incisors) and 3.06 mm (lingual surface of maxillary central incisors) (Bellucci & Perrini 2002). For upper and lower premolars, these values were scattered between 1.54 and 2.21 mm (Bellucci & Perrini 2002), and for lower molars, the respective mean values were between 1.42 and 3.01 mm (Berutti & Fedon 1992, Sterrett et al 1996). The specimens in the studies of Bellucci & Perrini (2002) and Sterrett et al (1996) were gathered from subjects aged between 35 and 55 years.…”