ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of an endodontic infection on presence of furcation involvement in periodontally-involved mandibular molars. All first and second mandibualr molars in 45 patients were selected if at least one was root-filled or had a possible periapical radiolucency. The sample consisted of patients from a referral population at a periodotnal clinic which represented an adult population with a mean age of 47.5 years (range 31 to 63) For mandibular molars with periapical destruction at both roots, frequency of horizontal furcation depth > or = 3 mm was significantly more compared to teeth without periapical destruction. Mean periodontal probing depth was significantly greater at mandibular molars with periapical destruction. It is suggested that a root canal infection in periodontitis-involved molars may potentiate periodontitis progression by spreading of endodontic pathgens through patent accessory canals and dentinal tubules. In conclusion, an endodontic infection in mandibular molars was found to be associated with additional attachment loss in the furcation area, and may thus be considered to be one of several risk factors influencing the prognosis of molars in periodontitis-prone patients.