MOLAR VS PREMOLAR TEETH

 

Do you know that premolar and molar teeth, no matter how similar their names, are quite unique from each other? The human teeth function in the mechanical destruction of food by cutting and crushing it in preparation for swallowing and digesting food. There are 4 rounds of these teeth. Two of them are premolars and molars. Premolars and molars are the grinding teeth located behind the outer teeth. After many years of efficient universal research, these teeth were found to be different. We can divide these differences into three categories, and they are locations, functions, and forms.

The first difference between molar and premolar teeth is their locations in the mouth. According to the results of  research conducted in adults, there are 12 molar teeth of which 6 in the lower and 6 in the upper jaws. These teeth are located at the rearmost of the mouth. Furthermore, premolars, also known as bicuspids, are located 4 in the upper and 4 in the lower jaws, for a total of 8 premolars, are located right in the middle of the canine teeth.

Another difference among molar and bicuspid teeth is their functions. Molars, which cover a larger surface area, are responsible for grinding the food coming into the human mouth and separating it into smaller pieces. On the other hand, the bicuspids are responsible for breaking down the food, even if it is little, so that it can be broken down more easily before it reaches the molars.

Finally, these teeth can be differentiated with their forms. Molars, which have been present since childhood, are the largest of all teeth. They have a large surface with many protrusions that allow them to grind food. Conversely, premolars or bicuspids that appear in humans after the age of 10 or 12 are remain very little compared to the molars. They have 2 protrusions and a flatter surface than the molars.

When all things are taken into consideration, although molars and premolars look same, they are very different from each other in various ways such as locations, functions, and forms. Despite these differences, all teeth as a whole have a crucial impact on humans. Therefore, treatments should aim to protect teeth rather than extract them.

TOOTH NOTATION SYSTEMS

Do you know that dentists not only face the challenge of finding diseases in teeth, but also have difficulties telling other people in which tooth these diseases are located? One of the problems dentists have been experiencing is that there is no clear and precise communication between dentists. If countries do not cooperate accurately, this circumstance may lead countries to create their own systems since there is no mutually agreed upon system. This would make treatment processes less efficient and cause a decline in service quality as a result of a lack of harmony between dental practices. To solve this problem, scientists developed 3 universal systems: Universal Numbering Systems, Palmer Notation System, and International Numbering System.

Universal Numbering System was found in 1882 by German dentist Julius Parreidt. This system numbers 32 teeth, starting with the maxillary right third molar in the upper right the jaw and ending with the mandibular tooth in the lower right jaw. For primary dentition, the system is using letters A through T. The main benefit of this system is that a sequential model is followed in naming the teeth and the location of the relevant tooth can be easily understood due to the simplicity of the system.

Palmer system was discovered by Hungarian dentist Adolf Zsigmondy in 1861. In this system, in the order of moving away from the midline, adult teeth are shown as numbers 1 to 8, and milk teeth are shown as A to E. This system also includes symbols showing which quadrant the tooth is in (┘└ ┐┌) and numbers showing its distance from the midline. Since each left and right maxillary central incisor is indicated by the number 1, there is a "┘" symbol below the number which demonstrates the right one, and "└" symbol which demonstrates left one. This system provides ease of application and communication.

International Numbering System uses two digits for each tooth. While the first digit indicates the quadrant, the second digit indicates the tooth type. For instance, 23 pronounce 2 quadrant left upper canine. Since this system gives a unique number for each tooth, it is easy to remember and makes verbal communication possible. This system is also compatible with computer keyboards.

In conclusion, with Universal Numbering Systems, Palmer Notation System, and International Numbering System, the naming of teeth, which had been a problem for dentists for a long time, now has a solution. If dentists do not want to have difficulties in their practices and communication, they should at least use one of these systems.