upper and lower molars

[Sentinel8483]

Hey Fam

Tooth morphology question
- Why does upper molars have three roots and orientation of bucco-lingual
Where as, lower molars have two roots medio-distal?

 

[frozenicecreamDMD]

i think you are better off just remembering upper molar has 3 roots (sometimes 4 roots) and lower molar has 2 roots (sometimes three roots) not asking why?

asking why teeth are made like this is like asking why human have two legs instead of four legs.

 

[Sentinel8483]

i think you are better off just remembering upper molar has 3 roots (sometimes 4 roots) and lower molar has 2 roots (sometimes three roots) not asking why?

asking why teeth are made like this is like asking why human have two legs instead of four legs.

It was a specific question from one of the lecturers. have no clue why

 

[FutureDent020]

Is he an anthropologist or something? What a pointless question. It’s much more important to understand the differences in root canal morphology in molars or variations of root configuration than why molars have 2 and 3 roots. But the answer is just millions of years of evolution and chewing. Whatever an organism needs to do to survive, the body evolves to support those actions. Anymore details or attempts to answer will just be theories since many things have happened to influence this. But maybe the lecturer was just trying to get you to think

 

[TanMan]

Hey Fam

Tooth morphology question
- Why does upper molars have three roots and orientation of bucco-lingual
Where as, lower molars have two roots medio-distal?

If I had to guess...

Upper jaw has a lot more bone in the palatal/lingual v. the lower jaw. Second, maybe the MB root has its origins from a maxillary premolar since that MB2/MB configuration reminds me of a maxillary premolar.

I cannot say what the answer is definitively.

 

[oralcare123]

That is the way we were created

 

[pubhealthdent]

Hey Fam

Tooth morphology question
- Why does upper molars have three roots and orientation of bucco-lingual
Where as, lower molars have two roots medio-distal?

Maxillary bone is more porous/less dense. Need more root surface/surface area to make it more stable in the softer bone. Also the saddle like shape of maxillary molars makes room for the sinus

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Maxillary bone is more porous/less dense. Need more root surface/surface area to make it more stable in the softer bone. Also the saddle like shape of maxillary molars makes room for the sinus

But why is the maxillary bone less dense? And why do the maxillary sinuses need that much room?

Big Hoss

 

[FutureDent020]

But why is the maxillary bone less dense? And why do the maxillary sinuses need that much room?

Big Hoss

And why aren’t the mandibular molar roots buccal/ lingual in orientation instead of mesial distal?? And why only 3 roots instead of 4 in the maxillary molars? Why are they made of dentin/ enamel etc. Question makes you think a little but there isn’t an answer besides our species has chewed for millions of years and we evolved to make that doable. Or if your religious, because something made us that way