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Location and Function
- Maxillary first premolar is located in the upper jaw.
- It is positioned laterally from the maxillary canines.
- It is mesial to the maxillary second premolars.
- The main function of this premolar is tearing during chewing.
- It shares a similar function with canines.
Anatomy
- Maxillary first premolar has two cusps.
- The buccal cusp resembles the teeth of carnivorous animals.
- There are no deciduous maxillary premolars.
- The permanent premolars erupt around 10-11 years of age.
- It takes about 3 years for the premolar and its root to fully calcify.
Vulnerability to Fracture
- The upper 1st premolar is prone to fracture during extraction.
- It has a long buccal root with a narrow root canal.
- The palatal root is short with a wide root canal.
- Dentists sometimes refer to it as the King of Fracture.
- Care must be taken during exodontia to avoid fractures.
Notation Systems
- In the universal system of notation, the permanent maxillary premolars are designated by numbers.
- The right maxillary first premolar is known as 5.
- The left maxillary first premolar is known as 12.
- In the Palmer notation, the right and left first premolars have the same number, 4.
- The right premolar is indicated by the symbol ┘, while the left one is indicated by └.
References
- Ash, Major M. and Stanley J. Nelson, 2003. Wheelers Dental Anatomy, Physiology, and Occlusion. 8th edition.
- The article on maxillary first premolar is available on Wikipedia.
- The article is categorised under types of teeth and human mouth anatomy.
- The article is a stub in the musculoskeletal system and dentistry categories.
- The Wikipedia page can be expanded for more information.
The maxillary first premolar is one of two teeth located in the upper jaw, laterally (away from the midline of the face) from both the maxillary canines of the mouth but mesial (toward the midline of the face) from both maxillary second premolars. The function of this premolar is similar to that of canines in regard to tearing being the principal action during mastication, commonly known as chewing. There are two cusps on maxillary first premolars, and the buccal (closest to the cheek) cusp is sharp enough to resemble the prehensile teeth found in carnivorous animals. There are no deciduous maxillary premolars. Around 10-11 years of age, the primary molars are shed and the permanent premolars erupt in their place. It takes about 3 years for the adult premolar and its root to fully calcify. Due to its long buccal root with narrow root canal and short palatal root with wide root canal, the upper 1st premolar is very prone to fracture during exodontia, hence, it is sometimes referred to some dentists as the "King of Fracture". In the universal system of notation, the permanent maxillary premolars are designated by a number. The right permanent maxillary first premolar is known as "5", and the left one is known as "12". In the Palmer notation, a number is used in conjunction with a symbol designating in which quadrant the tooth is found. For this tooth, the left and right first premolars would have the same number, "4", but the right one would have the symbol, "┘", underneath it, while the left one would have, "└". The international notation has a different numbering system than the previous two, and the right permanent maxillary first premolar is known as "14", and the left one is known as "24".
| Maxillary first premolar | |
|---|---|
 Maxillary first premolar | |
 Maxillary first premolar | |
| Identifiers | |
| FMA | 55801 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
