How Endodontists Find and Treat The Difficult MB2 Canal ?

Structure of the MB2 Canal

The morphology of the mesiobuccal (MB) root of maxillary molars commonly presents 2 main root canals, named MB1 and MB2, and a high incidence of fine anatomical structures including intercanal communications, loops, accessory canals and apical ramifications, resulting in a very complex canal system.

The orifice of the MB2 is usually located either mesial to or in the sub pulpal groove within 3.5 mm palatally and 2 mm mesially from MB1, often hidden under the shelf of the dentine wall or calcifications in a small groove.

In the literature, percentage frequency of MB2 canal in maxillary molars has ranged from 10 to 95%, depending not only on the method used in the study, such as sectioning, dye injection, radiography, scanning electron microscopy, or micro-CT, but also on ethnic and demographic factors related to the studied population, which may include geographic region, age and gender.

Why Treating the MB2 Canal Matters

Among endodontists that often perform root canal procedures, many often leave the MB2 canal due to its lessened impact on the treatment itself.

Many patients have often gone off with successful root canal procedures that have removed the infection and helped retain the structure of the tooth.

However, for experienced endodontists constantly performing complex procedures, the MB2 canal can present a higher risk of failure due to the remaining leftovers of bacteria within the system itself.

Clinicians, therefore, must be aware of MB2 prevalence and adopt procedural steps to locate and prepare it properly.