Jonker, Casper HendrikFoschi, FedericoL'Abbe, Ericka NoelleOettle, Anna Catherina2025-11-072025-11-072025-03Jonker, C.H.; Foschi, F.; L’Abbé, E.N.; Oettlé, A.C. A Micro-Computed Tomographic Evaluation of Root Canal Morphology of Mandibular First Molars in a Black South African Subpopulation. Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025, 14, 2301: 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14072301.2077-0383 (online)10.3390/jcm14072301http://hdl.handle.net/2263/105158DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data presented in this study are available from the corresponding author upon request. The data are not publicly available due to ethical reasons.BACKGROUND : This study evaluates the root canal anatomy (main and accessory canals) of mandibular first molars in Black South Africans using micro-computed tomography. The effect of sex, arch side, and age are also investigated. METHODS : The number of root canals in each tooth and individual roots (including an observation of the middle-mesial and middle-distal canals), the number of accessory canals, accessory canal type, root canal thirds, and the prevalence of apical deltas were recorded. A chi-squared test of association (p < 0.05) was used to report on variables (sex, arch sides, and age). RESULTS : In most teeth, either three (55.81%) or four canalled (24.42%) configurations were present. The middle-mesial canal was found in 18.6% of teeth (males and females), with a higher prevalence among females (23.68%). The middle-distal canal was found in 3.49% of teeth. Chamber canals were identified in 4.7% of teeth. Accessory canals most likely located in the apical third were found in approximately 84.9% and 86.1% of mesial roots and distal roots, respectively. Apical deltas were identified in 15.12% of mesial and 20.93% of distal roots. CONCLUSION : Root canal anatomy in this population is diverse and includes differences in arch sides between the sexes.en© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).African continental ancestry groupDental pulpMicrocomputed tomographyRoot canalsSouth Africa (SA)Article