What is the Difference Between a Bicuspid and a Molar Tooth?

The Molar teeth, or simply molars, are located in the back of the mouth. These teeth are responsible for chewing and breaking down solid foods before they are swallowed. The names of the teeth can often help us understand where they are in the mouth or what they look like.

Bicuspid teeth have two

cusps, or “bi” points, meaning “two”, and “cusps”, which refer to the points on the crown of the tooth.

These teeth are also referred to as premolar teeth because they are located between our canines and our molars in the back of the mouth. The difference between premolars and molars is slight but important. The main distinctions between premolar and molar teeth are in their size and shape. While a molar has four cusps or points, a premolar has two to three.

Premolars are larger and wider than the narrower canine teeth and have a flat surface, while molars are significantly larger than their bicuspid neighbors. A bicuspid tooth is defined as a tooth with two cusps; a premolar tooth. It is found between the canine and molar teeth and is considered a transitional tooth. Because it has the properties of both the anterior canines and the rear molars, food can be transferred from the canines to the premolars and, finally, to the molars for grinding.

The premolars, also called bicuspids, are the permanent teeth that lie between the molars in the back of the mouth and the canine teeth (cusps) in the front. With the exception of the first upper bicuspid or maxilla, these teeth usually have only one root.

Eloise Cuttitta
Eloise Cuttitta

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