The main difference between maxillary and mandibular molars is that maxillary molar occurs in the upper jaw, whereas mandibular molar occurs in the lower jaw.
Maxillary and mandibular molars are two human teeth located in the midline of the face. The main function of molars is grinding food during chewing. There are two maxillary and mandibular molars that occur inside the mouth, and they are the first and the second molars.
Key Areas Covered
- What is a Maxillary Molar
- Definition, Features, Importance
- What is a Mandibular Molar
- Definition, Features, Importance
- Similarities Between Maxillary and Mandibular Molars
- Outline of Common Features
- Difference Between Maxillary and Mandibular Molars
- Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Mandibular Molars, Maxillary Molars, Molars
What is Maxillary Molar
The maxillary molar is the tooth located in the upper jaw of the mouth. Generally, it occurs laterally (away from the midline of the face) from both the maxillary second premolars of the mouth but mesial (toward the midline of the face) from both maxillary second molars. Moreover, the upper jaw contains 6 maxillary molars. Maxillary molars have four well-formed cusps, two buccal and two lingual cusps, and one supplemental cusp of little practical use known as the cusp of carabelli. On the other hand, they have one buccal groove, and 3 roots with a tripod arrangement that enhance the anchorage in the alveolar bone.
Figure 1: Maxillary Molar
Furthermore, the geometric form of the maxillary molars is a trapezoid in lingual view. They are rhomboids with 2 acute and 2 obtuse angles in occlusal view. In general, the buccal surface is comparatively vertical. One main characteristic of maxillary molars is the presence of the oblique ridge on the occlusal surface.
What is Mandibular Molar
The mandibular molar is the tooth located in the lower jaw. Usually, it occurs distally (away from the midline of the face) from both the mandibular second premolars of the mouth but mesial (toward the midline of the face) from both mandibular second molars. 6 molars on the lower arch are known as Mandibular molars. Moreover, the molars have two buccal grooves on the first molar and a single buccal groove on the second and third molars. They have two roots and no oblique ridge.
Figure 2: Mandibular Molars
Moreover, the geometric form of the mandibular molars is trapezoid in the buccal view while in the proximal view, they are rhomboid. Other than that, these teeth carry a mesiodistal width that is much greater than the crown height.
Similarities Between Maxillary and Mandibular Molars
- Maxillary and mandibular molars are two types of molar teeth inside the human mouth.
- There are 6 maxillary and mandibular molars in the mouth.
- Their main function is to grind food particles during chewing.
Difference Between Maxillary and Mandibular Molars
Definition
Maxillary molar refers to the human tooth located laterally (away from the midline of the face) from both the maxillary second premolars of the mouth but mesial (toward the midline of the face) from both maxillary second molars while mandibular molar refers to the tooth located distally (away from the midline of the face) from both the mandibular second premolars of the mouth but mesial (toward the midline of the face) from both mandibular second molars.
Buccal Cups
The maxillary molar has two buccal cups while the mandibular molar has two or three buccal cups.
Buccal Grove
The maxillary molar has one buccal grove while the mandibular molar has two buccal groves.
Number of Roots
Moreover, the maxillary molar has three roots while the mandibular molar has two roots.
Root Trunk
The maxillary molar has a longer root trunk while the mandibular molar has a shorter root trunk.
Cervix of Crown
The Cervix of the crown of the maxillary molar tapers more to the lingua while the cervix of the crown of the mandibular molar tapers less to the lingua.
Cusp of Carabelli
The cusp of carabelli occurs in the first maxillary molar while the cusp of carabelli is absent in the mandibular molar.
Crown
Furthermore, the crown of the maxillary molar is more centered over the root while the crown of the mandibular molar is more tipped over lingual over the root.
Oblique Ridge
The oblique ridge is present in the maxillary molar while the oblique ridge is absent in the mandibular molar.
Transverse Ridge
The maxillary molar contains one transverse ridge while the mandibular molar contains two transverse ridges.
Crown
In addition, the crown of the maxillary molar is square-shaped while the crown of the mandibular molar is pentagon shaped.
Fossae
The maxillary molar has two fossae while the mandibular molar has three fossae.
Conclusion
In brief, maxillary and mandibular molars are two types of molar teeth that occur in the mouth. Moreover, their main function is to grind food particles during chewing. However, the maxillary molar occurs in the upper jaw while the mandibular molar occurs in the lower jaw. Therefore, the main difference between the maxillary and mandibular molar is their location.
References:
- Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, August 29). Maxillary first molar. Wikipedia. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, March 25). Mandibular first molar. Wikipedia. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
Image Courtesy:
- “Maxillary first molar” By Ανώνυμος Βικιπαιδιστής- Own Work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
- “Mandibular first molars01-01-06” By Dozenist – Own Work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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