Molar tooth

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The molar teeth are box-shaped teeth with a large occlusal surface area that allows them to crush and grind food. The molar teeth are the posterior teeth of the dental arch. In the deciduous dentition there are two molars on each side, both top and bottom, for a total of 8 molar teeth. The deciduous molars are replaced by the permanent premolars. The permanent molars are 12 in number, three per side both top and bottom. They are not replacement teeth and erupt behind the premolars. The third molar, also called the wisdom tooth, does not always erupt. It can become impacted in the jaw and put pressure on the second molar or sometimes not even develop at all.