A primary maxillary second molar most typically has how many roots?

Correct answer: D. Three roots — mesiobuccal, distobuccal and palatal

• A. Two roots is the pattern of primary MANDIBULAR molars (mesial and distal), not maxillary.
• B. A single fused conical root is characteristic of primary incisors and canines.
• C. Four separate roots does not occur in primary molars.
• D. CORRECT. Primary maxillary molars mirror their permanent counterparts in form: THREE roots — mesiobuccal, distobuccal and palatal — which are thin, markedly divergent and ribbon-like. The divergence accommodates the developing premolar crown beneath, and it is why these roots fracture so readily on extraction. Canals frequently exceed the root count, since the mesiobuccal root often houses two.

Note: Clinically important: the thin, divergent roots of primary molars are easily fractured during extraction, and the permanent tooth germ lies directly within the furcation — which is exactly why primary molar pathology appears in the FURCATION rather than at the apices.