EVALUATION OF THE ROOT MORPHOLOGY OF MANDIBULAR FIRST PREMOLARS USING CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN A PERUVIAN POPULATION

Introduction: The morphology of the root canal of the first premolars is not always the same and therefore a good knowledge of its dental anatomy is essential. Aim: To assess the morphology of roots and root canals of mandibular first premolars in a Peruvian population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sec-tional study. A total of 370 mandibular first premolars fulfilling the inclusion criteria were evaluated using CBCT, and the number of roots and root canals, the Vertucci’s classification of root canal configuration, age, sex and side of the tooth were registered. Results: One and two roots were presented in 96.2% (n=356) and 3.8% (n=14), respectively, of the mandibular first premolars analyzed, and one canal was present in 67.6% (n=250) and two canals in 32.2% (n=119). A type I root canal configuration was found in 67.6% (n=250) of the cases followed by type V with 26.2% (n=97). A statistically significant association was found between the number of roots and canals (p<0.001) and age also had a significant influence on this variable (p=0.0043). Conclusions: The presence of one canal in mandibular first premolars is the most frequent, although there is a considerable prevalence of two in the population studied. The number of roots is associated with the number of canals, with age having a significant influence on these variables.