Molar

Molars are the large, broad teeth located at the back of the mouth, designed for grinding and crushing food. Adults have three sets of molars on each side of the upper and lower jaws: first molars (the "six-year molars," which erupt around age six), second molars (the "twelve-year molars"), and third molars (wisdom teeth, which typically appear between ages 17 and 25). That makes twelve molars total, though many adults have their wisdom teeth removed.

First molars deserve special attention because they are often the first permanent teeth to erupt and the first to experience decay. They emerge behind the baby teeth rather than replacing them, so parents sometimes do not realize they are permanent teeth. By the time many patients reach adulthood, their first molars have been in the mouth for decades and have endured the most wear, making them the most likely teeth to need crowns, root canals, or extraction. The anatomy of molars makes them uniquely challenging to treat. They have multiple roots (upper molars typically have three, lower molars have two), complex canal systems for root canal therapy, and broad surfaces that require larger restorations. Their location at the back of the mouth also makes them harder to keep clean and more difficult for the dentist to access during procedures.

For your practice, molar treatments make up a substantial portion of restorative revenue. Crowns on molars, molar root canals, molar extractions, and implants to replace missing molars are among the most frequently performed procedures. Educating patients about the importance of their molars, especially first molars, and the consequences of delaying treatment on cracked or decayed molars helps drive timely treatment acceptance.