How do Molars and Premolars Differ?

The mouth plays a vital role in keeping the body healthy. It provides a gateway for consuming food. Each organ in the mouth plays an important role in consuming food to aid easy digestion. Teeth are one of the important organs in the mouth. They are broadly classified as incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Incisors and canines help in cutting and tearing food into smaller bits. Once the food is broken down, it is then chewed before the food before it is swallowed. Premolars and molars play a vital role in the process of grinding and chewing.

In this post, we will discuss some differences between molars and premolars:

Molars are the largest teeth in the mouth. There are 12 molars in an adult mouth. They are classified into 3 pairs –first, second and third molars. The third molars are popularly known as wisdom teeth. The lower molars usually have 2 roots while the upper molars have 3 roots. They have a flat surface and have 4 cusps to aid easy chewing of the food. The cusps ensure the food is crushed and ground thoroughly before it is swallowed and passed down to the stomach to aid easy digestion. Have cusps implies it’s a place for grinding food but also an easy place for bacteria to hide. So a regular consultation with a family dentist ensures healthy teeth.

Premolars are similar in structure to the molars. They are found situated between canine and molar teeth. There are 8 pre-molars in a fully formed mouth and are also called bicuspids. Broadly classified as first and second premolars they have their own functions. The first premolars role is similar to that of canines. Though not as sharp as canines, they help in tearing of the food. With two cusps at the crown, they also help in gripping the food when chewing. The secondary premolars are located behind the first premolars and molars. They have a comparatively flat surface and can have two or 3 cusps. They help in cutting the food down to still smaller bits and aid in chewing the food.

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