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Molar tooth
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In adult dentition, the molar teeth are the big, flat teeth located posterior to the pre-molars. Molars are the most specialized of the teeth for grinding of food due to their broad crowns and rounded tips. In most adults, there will be a total of twelve molars: six maxillary and six mandibular (three on each side of each jaw). The most distal of the molars, the third molars, are also known as the "wisdom teeth". These teeth are the last to erupt and are commonly removed due to complications with their emergence.
Much like all other teeth, the general structure of molars is similar: the three regions are the crown (covered by enamel), neck (surrounded by the gums) and root (embedded into the bone). Differently to the other teeth, the maxillary molars have three roots each, whilst the mandibular molars have two roots each.
| Terminology |
English: Molar tooth Latin: Dens molaris |
| Number | Deciduous: 8 (no third molar) Permanent: 12 |
| Function | Broad teeth in the back of the mouth designed for grinding food |
Learn more about the anatomy of teeth with this study unit:
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