Furcation topography of the maxillary and mandibular first molars

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to describe the topography of the furcation area of the maxillary and mandibular first molars. By using a photogrammetric method, the furcation areas of extracted teeth were plotted to obtain 3-dimensional contour maps. By comparing the individual 10 drawings of the maxillary and mandibular first molars, respectively, some morphological characteristics of the furcation areas could be described. Accordingly, the study showed the complexity of the furcation areas with presence of a number of small ridges, peaks and pits forming a mixture of convexities and concavities.