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Premolar

 

 
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The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine
Canine tooth

In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed tooth....
 and molar
Molar (tooth)

Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
 teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant
Quadrant

Quadrant may refer to:* One of the four sections of the Cartesian coordinate system#Two-dimensional coordinate system* Quadrant , a measuring instrument capable of measuring angles up to 90°...
, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps
Cusp (dentistry)

A cusp is an Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry or Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry eminence on a tooth....
. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or mastication
Mastication

Mastication or chewing is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes....
. It has properties of both the anterior canines and posterior molars, and so food can be transferred from the canines to the premolars and finally to the molars for grinding, instead of directly from the canines to the molars.

The premolars in humans are the maxillary first premolar
Maxillary first premolar

The maxillary first premolar is the tooth located laterally from both the maxillary canines of the mouth but mesial from both maxillary second premolars....
, maxillary second premolar
Maxillary second premolar

The maxillary second premolar is the tooth located laterally from both the maxillary first premolars of the mouth but mesial from both maxillary first molars....
, mandibular first premolar
Mandibular first premolar

The mandibular first premolar is the tooth located laterally from both the mandibular canines of the mouth but mesial from both mandibular second premolars....
, and the mandibular second premolar
Mandibular second premolar

The mandibular second premolar is the tooth located distally from both the mandibular first premolars of the mouth but mesial from both mandibular first molars....
.

There is always one large buccal
Buccal

Buccal can refer to:* The adjective form of cheek* The buccal index* The buccal smear* The "buccal artery", also known as the Buccinator artery...
 cusp, especially so in the mandibular first premolar.






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The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine
Canine tooth

In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed tooth....
 and molar
Molar (tooth)

Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
 teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant
Quadrant

Quadrant may refer to:* One of the four sections of the Cartesian coordinate system#Two-dimensional coordinate system* Quadrant , a measuring instrument capable of measuring angles up to 90°...
, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps
Cusp (dentistry)

A cusp is an Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry or Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry eminence on a tooth....
. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or mastication
Mastication

Mastication or chewing is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes....
. It has properties of both the anterior canines and posterior molars, and so food can be transferred from the canines to the premolars and finally to the molars for grinding, instead of directly from the canines to the molars.

The premolars in humans are the maxillary first premolar
Maxillary first premolar

The maxillary first premolar is the tooth located laterally from both the maxillary canines of the mouth but mesial from both maxillary second premolars....
, maxillary second premolar
Maxillary second premolar

The maxillary second premolar is the tooth located laterally from both the maxillary first premolars of the mouth but mesial from both maxillary first molars....
, mandibular first premolar
Mandibular first premolar

The mandibular first premolar is the tooth located laterally from both the mandibular canines of the mouth but mesial from both mandibular second premolars....
, and the mandibular second premolar
Mandibular second premolar

The mandibular second premolar is the tooth located distally from both the mandibular first premolars of the mouth but mesial from both mandibular first molars....
.

There is always one large buccal
Buccal

Buccal can refer to:* The adjective form of cheek* The buccal index* The buccal smear* The "buccal artery", also known as the Buccinator artery...
 cusp, especially so in the mandibular first premolar. The lower second premolar almost always presents with two lingual
Lingual

Lingual can refer to:* tongue* lingual artery* lingual veins...
 cusps.

Premolar teeth by definition are permanent teeth distal to the canine
Canine tooth

In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed tooth....
s preceded by deciduous
Deciduous teeth

Deciduous teeth, otherwise known as milk teeth, baby teeth, temporary teeth and primary teeth, are the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans and many other mammals....
 molars. In primitive mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
s there are four premolars per quadrant. The most mesial two have been lost in New World monkeys, apes, and humans. Paleontologists refer to human
Human

A human being, also human or man, is a member of a species of bipedalism primates in the family Hominidae . Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates that modern humans originated in east Africa about 200,000 years ago....
 premolars as Pm3 and Pm4.

Additional images


See also

  • Incisor
    Incisor

    Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and mandible below....
  • Canine tooth
    Canine tooth

    In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed tooth....
  • Molar
    Molar (tooth)

    Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....