PULP SPACE MORPHOLOGY AND

MACROSCOPIC ANATOMY
Macro - anatomy of the pulp:
 Pulp space composed of:
a) Coronal pulp: 1) Pulp chamber.
2) Pulp horns.
b) Radicular pulp: 1) Root canals.
2) Lateral canals.
Types of root canals:
1) Type I:  Mature, straight root canal, i.e. with apical constriction.
2) Type II:  Mature but not straight root canal.
 It may be:  Curved or severely curved.
 Dilacerated.
 Bayonet.
3) Type III:  Immature root canal, i.e. with open apex.
 It may be:  Blunder bus root canal.
 Tubular root canal.

Root canal system or configuration:

 In single root, whether in single rooted or multi - rooted tooth , we have
the following possibilities of root canal systems :
1. Type I: Single root canal, having single orifice and single apical
foramen.
2. Type II: Two root canals, having two orifices and single apical
foramen.
3. Type III: Two root canals, having two orifices and two apical
foramina.
4. Type IV: Single root canal, having single orifice and two apical
foramina.

6
 5. Type V: Single root canal, having single orifice and single apical
foramen but branched at the middle 1/3 of the root with dentin island in-
between the two branches.
6. Type VI: Two root canals, having two orifices and two apical foramina
but they are united just at the cervical 1/3 up to the apical 1/3, and then

branched again.
Pulp space morphology of maxillary central incisor:
a) Mesio - distal section:
 Pulp chamber having 3 prominent pulp horns.
 Pulp chamber is wide coronally and then becomes uniformly tapered
root canal up to the apex.
b) Labio - palatal section:
 Pulp chamber is pointed toward the incisal edge, increases in size as it
reaches the cervical line, still wide up to the cervical 1/3 of the root and
becomes tapered till the root apex.
c) Cervical root section:
 Triangular in shape with its base directed labially.
d) Mid root section:
 Tends to be rounded in shape.
e) Apical root section:
 Rounded in shape.
f) R.C. system:
 Type “ I ”in 100% of cases.

Pulp space morphology of maxillary lateral incisor:

 Similar to the morphology of maxillary central incisor except for:

7
1. The size of the pulp space that corresponds to the size of the tooth,
i.e. smaller than 1.
2. Slight curvature that may exist distally or palatally in the root.

Pulp space morphology of maxillary canine:

a) Mesio - distal section:
 Pulp chamber is pointed incisally and wide cervically.
 Tapered to give root canal up to the apex with slight distal curvature.
b) Labio - palatal section:
 Pulp chamber is wider than in mesio - distal section, with prominent
pulp horn related to the cusp tip.
 Prominent dentin ledge in relation to cingulum.
c) Cervical root section:
 Oval or elongated in labio - palatal direction.
d) Mid root section:
 Tending to be rounded or less oval.
e) Apical root section:
 Rounded in shape.
f) R.C. system:
 Type “ I “ in 100% of cases.

8
 Pulp space morphology of mandibular central and lateral
incisors:
a) Mesio - distal section:
 Pulp chamber is wide coronally with 3 prominent pulp horns.
 It becomes constricted at the cervical level of the tooth and tapered till
the apex, which may have apical curvature distally.
b) Labio - lingual section:
 Pulp chamber is pointed toward the incisal edge, then becomes wide
cervically and tapered to the apex.
c) Cervical root section:
 Oval, wider labio - lingually and constricted mesio - distally.
d) Mid root section:
 Differs according to the type of R.C. system.
e) Apical root section:
 Also differs according to the type of R.C. system.
f) R.C. system:
 Type I: More frequent.
 Type II: Frequent (Appears in labio - lingual section).
 Type III: Less frequent (Appears in labio - lingual section).

Pulp space morphology of mandibular canine:

 Similar to the morphology of maxillary canine except for:
1. The size of the pulp that corresponds to the size of the tooth, i.e.
smaller in size.
2. R.C. system may be:  Type I, in 94% of cases.

9
  Type III, in 6% of cases.

Pulp space morphology of maxillary first premolar:

 Upper first premolar may have:
a) Two roots oriented bucally and palatally in 60% of cases.
b) One root in 38% of cases.
c) Three roots in 2% of cases.
a) Mesio - distal section:
 Similar to maxillary canine, but the pulp space is narrower.
b) Bucco - palatal section:
1) In case of 2 roots:
 Pulp chamber has 2 pulp horns, one for each cusp.
Buccal root canal is wider than the palatal one.
2) In case of 1 root:  Similar morphology of the pulp chamber, but the
root may have the following R.C. system:
a) Type III: More frequent.
b) Type II: Frequent.
c) Type I: Less frequent.
c) Cervical root section:
 Oval, kidney or figure of 8 in shape, which is, directed bucco - palatal.
d) Mid root section:
 Rounded in shape.
e) Apical root section:
 Rounded in shape.

10
 Pulp space morphology of maxillary second premolar:
 Upper second premolar may have:
1) One root in 85% of cases.
2) Two roots in 15% of cases.
a) Mesio - distal section:
 Similar to upper first premolar.
b) Bucco - palatal section:
 Pulp chamber has 2 pulp horns, one toward each cusp, and the R.C. is
gradually tapered till the apex.
 R.C. system may be:
1. Type III: More frequent.

11
2. Type II: Frequent.
3. Type I: Less frequent.
4. Type IV: Rare.
c) Cervical root section:
 Oval in bucco - palatal direction.
d) Mid root section:
 Rounded in shape.
e) Apical root section:
 Rounded in shape.

Pulp space morphology of mandibular first premolar:

a) Mesio - distal section:
 Similar to mandibular canine.

12
 b) Bucco - lingual section:
 Pulp chamber is wide with two pulp horns.
 The lingual pulp horn is in more cervical level than the buccal one.
 The R.C. becomes narrow at the apical 1/3.
 The R.C. system may be:
1. Type I: In 85% of cases.
2. Type II: In 15% of cases.
c) Cervical root section:
 Oval in bucco - lingual direction.
d) Mid root section:
 Tends to be rounded in shape.
e) Apical root section:
 Rounded in shape.
Pulp space morphology of mandibular second premolar:
 Similar to the morphology of mandibular first premolar except for:
The root canal system may be:  85% Type I.
 15% Type II or Type IV.

Pulp space morphology of maxillary first molar:

a) Mesio - distal section:
Buccal view:  Pulp chamber having two prominent pulp horns for
M.B. and D.B. cusps.
 Two tapered root canals, M.B. and D.B.
13
 Palatal view:  Pulp chamber having two less prominent pulp horns
for M.P. and D.P. cusps.
 One tapered large palatal root canal.
b) Bucco - palatal section:
 Mesial view:  Pulp chamber having two pulp horns for M.B. and
M.P. cusps.
 Mesial root shows R.C. system of:  Type I.
 Type II.
 Type III.
 I.e. Extra M.P. root canal may be present.
 Distal view:  Distal root shows type “I” root canal.
 Palatal root also shows type “I” root canal.
 N.B.:  Palatal root having the largest canal of type “I”.
 The tooth may have 3 or 4 root canals.
 The extra canal is present in the M.B. root and located M.P.
c) Cervical root section:
 In case of 3 R.Cs.:  Triangular in shape with its base buccally.
 In case of 4 R.Cs.:  Trapezoidal in shape with its base buccally.
d) Mid root section:
 Palatal: Oval tends to be rounded.
 M.B.: Rounded.
 M.P.: Rounded.
 D.B.: Rounded.
e) Apical root section:
 Rounded in all canals.

14
 Pulp space morphology of maxillary second molar:
 In 90% of cases its morphology is similar to the first molar.
 In 10% of cases, it has two roots, buccal root and palatal root
 In such cases (10 %):  The buccal root canal may be:
 Type I (More frequent).
 Type II (Frequent).
Type III (Less frequent).
 Cervical root section: Heart or oval in shape.

15
 Pulp space morphology of mandibular first and second
molars:
a) Mesio - distal section:
 Wide pulp chamber with 2 prominent pulp horns related to the M.B.
and D.B. cusps.
 Tapered M.B. and D.B. root canals.
b) Bucco - lingual section:
Mesial view:  Wide pulp chamber with 2 prominent pulp horns
related to M.B. and M.L. cusps.
 R.C. system is always type “III”
Distal view:  Wide pulp chamber with 2 prominent pulp horns
related to D.B. and D.L. cusps.
 The R.C. system may be:  Type I.
Type II.
Type III.

16
 N.B.:  The tooth may have 3 or 4 root canals.
 The extra R.C. will be in the distal root and located D.B.
c) Cervical root section:
 In case of 3 root canals: Triangular in shape with its base directed
mesially.
 In case of 4 root canals: Trapezoidal in shape with its base directed
mesially.
d) Apical root section:
 Rounded in shape for all root canals.

17