The Prevalence of Three Rooted Primary Mandibular Molars in Zahedan

Background: The study of tooth structure has therapeutic and anthropological significance.
Being familiar with variations in root number can aid dentists in endodontic treatment as well as
tooth extraction. One of these variations is the anomaly of primary mandibular molars which have
three roots. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of three-rooted primary
mandibular molars in Zahedan city.
Material & Methods: In this descriptive study we investigated 1500 files related to pediatric
patients registered in Zahedan faculty of dentistry in 2007. Some of these files had radiographs.
According to these documents, three-rooted primary mandibular molars were recorded by a
pedodontist. Sex, race and the position of third root were recorded too. We used frequency tables
and SPSS software to analyze and describe our data.
Results: Among 1500 investigated files, 677 files had mandibular periapical radiographs and 49
three-rooted primary molars were found. The number of boys and girls were 32 (65.3%) and 17
(34.7%) respectively.
Conclusion: The study suggests that the prevalence of this anomaly is common in Zahedan city.
This finding can improve treatment options in pediatric patients.