Frequency of different groove patterns seen on the occlusal surface of mandibular second premolars

Abstract

Background: The Mandibular second premolar has commonly three different type traits depending on the occlusal groove patterns. In addition to that they are also recognized on the basis of number of cusps. The objectives of the study were to determine the frequency of different occlusal groove patterns of mandibular second premolars and to acquire base line data for future studies in this population and field of research.
Material and Methods: This study was conducted in Islamabad Dental Hospital (IDH), from September 2017 to December 2017. A total of 600 patients (1200 teeth) with fully erupted mandibular second premolars of normal occlusal morphology, in age group of 15 years and above were screened in the Out Patient Department (OPD). Groove patterns on occlusal surfaces and their anatomical variations on both sides i.e. right and left, were observed and noted in a proforma. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22.
Results: Three different patterns of occlusal grooves (Y, U and H) were found in our study population. Y groove pattern was observed in 364 teeth (30.33%), U pattern in 447 teeth (37.25%) and H pattern was noted in 389 (32.41%) teeth. Among males, U pattern was predominant (43.84%) followed by H and then Y pattern. In females, H pattern grooves was found mostly (34.41%), followed by Y and U pattern.
Conclusion: The most frequent occlusal groove pattern observed in our population was U followed by H and Y type.