The technology performs database access control in a manner that decreases computational cost of the database access control with an object type definition of a database object that permit multiple parent objects. The system determines whether to grant a user access to a database object via a first set of access control paths that do not rely on whether the user has permission to access a minimum number of parent objects of the database object. Responsive to a determination not to grant the user access via the first set of access control paths, the system determines whether to grant the user access to the database object via a second set of access control paths that determine whether the user has permission to access the minimum number of parent objects of the database object.