I[NTRODUCTION]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-1}
==========================

Morphological variations in tooth roots play a vital role in the treatment prognosis. The identification of such anatomic variations has often been the challenge for the clinical practitioners. Conventional perception about the corresponding tooth not only affects the outcome of the treatment but also raises the efficiency of the practitioner. So it is imperative to know the variations of the tooth roots and root canals. In this article, we report a rare anatomic variation of three-rooted maxillary canine having three root canals, which is first of its kind in the literature.

C[ASE]{.smallcaps} R[EPORT]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-2}
=======================================

An 80-year-old man came to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Vinayaka Mission's Sankarachariyar Dental College, Tamil Nadu, India, with the complaint of pain and mobility on the upper left front tooth region. The tooth was tender on percussion with adherent calculus having grade II mobility characteristic of localized periodontitis. Local anesthesia 2% Lignox with 1:80,000 was administered as infiltration on both buccal and palatal sides. After checking the subjective and objective numbness, the tooth removal was completed by maxillary anterior forceps. The postextraction instructions were given along with oral analgesics. We found that maxillary canine had three separate roots with three root canals \[Figure [1A](#F1){ref-type="fig"} and [B](#F1){ref-type="fig"}\]. We took intraoral periapical radiograph and did access opening to find the number of root canals present \[Figure [1C](#F1){ref-type="fig"} and [D](#F1){ref-type="fig"}\]. The root canals were found to be three-on-three individual separate roots.

![(A) Extracted tooth, (B) extracted tooth (close-up), (C) intraoral periapical radiograph of the extracted tooth, and (D) intraoral periapical radiograph showing three root canals.](JPBS-11-485-g001){#F1}

D[ISCUSSION]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-3}
========================

Diagnosis and identification of the number of roots are the key factors in the treatment of teeth. Maxillary canines are considered to be single-rooted, single-canal teeth, and two bifid root and three root canals in a permanent canine is a rare condition.\[[@ref1]\] In such conditions\],\[ the pulp canal has the potential of being very complex with branching and divisions throughout the length of the root or sometimes joined at the apex of the root. Vertucci\[[@ref2]\] had classified the root canal configurations of human permanent teeth into various types, ranging from single to three separate and distinct canals. Various case reports\[[@ref3][@ref4][@ref5]\] and studies by Pineda *et al*\[[@ref1]\] and Hulsmann^[@ref6]‌^ showed the variations of single -- two roots with 2 root canals. Grossman *et al*.\[[@ref7]\] and Nelson and Ash\[[@ref8]\] also reported the two-rooted maxillary canine. Latest articles reported by Bolla and Kavuri\[[@ref9]\] and Mohammed *et al*.\[[@ref10]\] showed the double roots of maxillary anterior teeth with two root canals. But three separated roots with three separate root canals were not reported till now to the best of our knowledge. The roots were identified as mesiobuccal, distobuccal, and palatal one \[Figures [1A](#F1){ref-type="fig"} and [B](#F1){ref-type="fig"}\]. This patient underwent previous extractions of the other teeth in our department only without any such abnormal variations. He lost all his other teeth because of generalized periodontitis due to severe calculus deposits, and we planned complete dental rehabilitation for him.

C[ONCLUSION]{.smallcaps} {#sec1-4}
========================

This case report is to increase the awareness among general practitioners and consultants on such anatomic variations - aberrations in tooth morphology like maxillary canine having three separate roots. So special focus is necessary to detect (Diagnose) and treat those extra roots and root canals to prevent endodontic failures in day to day practice.

Financial support and sponsorship {#sec2-1}
---------------------------------

Nil.

Conflicts of interest {#sec2-2}
---------------------

There are no conflicts of interest.
