Root canal anatomy of mandibular first premolars in a southern Chinese population

Abstract Racial differences in dental crown morphology have long been recognized, but the frequency of genetically determined variations in the root canal anatomy of teeth has not been fully established. There is, therefore, a need to study the morphology of non-Caucasoid teeth to establish the existence and prevalence of racially determined root canal variations. In this study 100 mandibular first premolars of Chinese origin were accurately identified and radiographed in vitro to establish the frequency of root canal bifurcation. Thirty-six per cent of the sample presented with more than one canal. The division of these canals occurred at various levels of the root, and in all but one of the teeth the canals remained separate.