HOSA Dental Terminology Practice

Succedaneous teeth are known for replacing which type of teeth?

1. Permanent teeth

2. Deciduous teeth

3. Supernumerary teeth

4. Molar teeth

The correct answer is: Deciduous teeth

Succedaneous teeth specifically refer to the teeth that replace the primary or deciduous teeth as they fall out during childhood. The primary teeth, commonly known as baby teeth, are eventually shed in a natural process to make way for the permanent teeth that will take their place. Succedaneous teeth include the incisors, canines, and premolars. These teeth develop underneath the primary teeth and, upon the shedding of the deciduous teeth, erupt into the mouth to fulfill the dental arch's function. Other options do not relate directly to this replacement process; permanent teeth do not replace other permanent teeth, supernumerary teeth are extra teeth that can erupt alongside the normal set, and molar teeth, specifically, have primary counterparts known as primary molars that are also replaced by permanent molars, but these do not fall into the category of succedaneous teeth since they form independently of the falling out of primary molars. Thus, the correct answer reflects the natural dental transition from primary to permanent teeth.