Background: The study of dental morphological characteristics is essential in research as it can provide information about diversities within a population and can also aid in clinical practice.
Aim: This work aimed to study the size and root canal morphology of primary molars in
a sample of the Egyptian population.
Materials and Methods: Eighty primary molars were randomly selected from extracted teeth in children seeking dental treatment. The following measurements were performed: the crown height, root length, root trunk length from the buccal aspect, R/C ratio and mesiodistal dimension of the crown at the contacts. Whereas, the root canal morphology was studied using cone beam computed tomography and clearing technique. Statistical analysis of the previous data was tabulated.
Results: The mean mesiodistal crown width of deciduous mandibular first molar was 7.64mm, while that of the maxillary was 6.76mm respectively. It was found that the mean R/C ratio for the deciduous mandibular first molar was 1.45, while that of the maxillary was 1.58. As for the mean mesiodistal crown width of deciduous mandibular second molar was 9.71mm, while that of the maxillary the mean was 8.36mm respectively. Regarding R/C ratio, the mean R/C in the mandibular second molar was 1.79, while for the maxillary the mean was 1.74. The most common canal configuration for deciduous mandibular first molar is type IV in the mesial root and type I in the distal. Type II was the most relevant in the MB root of a deciduous maxillary first molar. Meanwhile, type I was the most common in the DB and type I in the palatal. Deciduous mandibular second molar showed type II and IV as the most common canal configurations in the mesial root and type IV in the distal. As for the maxillary deciduous second molar, type IV was the most common in the
MB and DB roots and type I and IV in the palatal roots.
Conclusions: Morphological characteristics of primary molars in a sample of Egyptian population were consistent with those of other studies performed in different communities using a similar methodology.