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Description:
Successful endodontic therapy requires a thorough knowledge of root canal morphology. There is a wide range of variations in the literature with respect to frequency of occurrence of the number of roots, the number of canals in each root, etc. But less attention has been paid to the bilateral occurrence. Generally rarer the aberration, more common is the bilateralism.
Along with the regular and mesial/distal inclined preoperative radiographs, recommendations have been made to include a radiograph of the contralateral tooth. Incorporation of CBCT for diagnosis of the aberrations has made evaluation and treatment of these bilateral occurrences with more predictable results. A previously treated tooth with unusual root morphology may serve as an excellent reference to determine whether that aberration exists in the corresponding contralateral tooth that is being considered for therapy.
This presentation explains about the importance of the clinician to think about the possibility of bilateral occurrence when he/she comes across any aberration in the root canal morphology and the importance of using modern gadgets like CBCT routinely for better understanding of the complexities of the root canal system and ensure a predictable treatment prognosis for such aberrations.