Morphological measurements of anatomic landmarks in human maxillary and mandibular molar pulp chambers.

The aim of this in vitro study was to measure critical morphology of molar pulp chambers. One hundred random human maxillary and mandibular molars (200 teeth in total) were used. Each molar was radiographed mesiodistally on a millimeter grid. Using a stereomicroscope, the measurements were read to the nearest 0.5 mm. Results were as follows (mean, mm): pulp chamber floor to furcation, maxillary = 3.05 +/- 0.79, mandibular = 2.96 +/- 0.78; pulp chamber ceiling to furcation, maxillary = 4.91 +/- 1.06, mandibular = 4.55 +/- 0.91; buccal cusp to furcation, maxillary = 11.15 +/- 1.21, mandibular = 10.90 +/- 1.21; buccal cusp to pulp chamber floor, maxillary = 8.08 +/- 0.88, mandibular = 7.95 +/- 0.79; buccal cusp to pulp chamber ceiling, maxillary = 6.24 +/- 0.88, mandibular = 6.36 +/- 0.93; and pulp chamber height, maxillary = 1.88 +/- 0.69, mandibular = 1.57 +/- 0.68. The pulp chamber ceiling was at the level of the cementoenamel junction in maxillary, 98%, and mandibular, 97% of the specimens. The measurements showing the lowest percentage variance were buccal cusp to furcation (approximately 11%) and buccal cusp to pulp chamber ceiling (approximately 14%). The measurements were similar for both maxillary and mandibular molars.