Detectability of Middle Mesial Root Canal Orifices by Troughing Technique in Mandibular Molars: A Micro–computed Tomographic Study

Abstract Introduction The objective of the present study was to measure the orifice depth of middle mesial canals (MMCs) and evaluate the detectability of orifices using troughing preparation. Methods For this study, 85 mandibular molar teeth with MMCs were selected from the scanned micro–computed tomographic images. The MMCs were categorized, and the distances between the MMC orifices and the cementoenamel junctions (CEJ) were recorded as the depth of the orifice. Data were evaluated with frequency analysis and a chi-square test using SPSS (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL), and the results indicated a 5% significance level. Results It was found that 77.41% of the MMC orifices were at the CEJ level, whereas 5.38% and 9.69% of the MMC orifices were detectable within 1-mm and 2-mm depths from the CEJ, respectively. Of the specimens, 7.52% had MMC orifices deeper than 2 mm from the CEJ. Confluent anatomy was the most frequent configuration. No significant relation was detected between the orifice depth and MMC configuration ( P > .05). Conclusions It was concluded that 77.41% of the specimens did not require troughing preparation, the remaining 15.07% would require troughing, and 7.52% could not be accessed even with the troughing preparation.