Endodontic treatment of a C-shaped mandibular second premolar with four root canals and three apical foramina: a case report

• Main Authors: Thikamphaa Bertrand, Sahng Gyoon Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry 2016-02-01
• Series: Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2016.41.1.68

This case report describes a unique C-shaped mandibular second premolar with four canals and three apical foramina and its endodontic management with the aid of cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT). C-shaped root canal morphology with four canals was identified under a dental operating microscope. A CBCT scan was taken to evaluate the aberrant root canal anatomy and devise a better instrumentation strategy based on the anatomy. All canals were instrumented to have a 0.05 taper using 1.0 mm step-back filing with appropriate apical sizes determined from the CBCT scan images and filled using a warm vertical compaction technique. A C-shaped mandibular second premolar with multiple canals is an anatomically rare case for clinicians, yet its endodontic treatment may require a careful instrumentation strategy due to the difficulty in disinfecting the canals in the thin root area without compromising the root structure.