Root canal on tooth 14
What it involves. Root canal treatment removes inflamed or infected pulp from inside the tooth, then cleans, disinfects, fills and seals it. It can usually be done in one or two visits, and the tooth is then restored with a crown or filling.
Often four canals, not three. A review of thousands of teeth found three roots in 95.9% of upper first molars. The front cheek-side (mesiobuccal) root held two canals in about 57% of teeth, so root canal treatment on this tooth often involves four canals rather than three.
One of the most treated teeth. In a survey of 3,350 patients at endodontic offices, the upper first molar was the second most often treated tooth (13.5% of teeth), after the lower first molar.
Sinus link. The roots of upper back teeth can reach up into the maxillary sinus, with only a thin layer of tissue between them. Because of that, a long-lasting infection at the root tip can sometimes spread into the sinus (odontogenic sinusitis).
A crown afterward. In a study of 203 root-canal-treated teeth, those left without a crown were lost at about 6 times the rate of crowned teeth.
The same tooth on the right side, tooth 3, has its own section on sealants, cavities and weak enamel.
Where is tooth 14?
Tooth 14 is in your upper jaw on your left side. It is the sixth tooth from the middle: start at the gap between the two top front teeth and count 6 teeth toward the back on your left side.
In a mirror, tooth 14 shows on the left side of your reflection. Someone looking into your mouth sees it on their right.
In front of it (toward the middle) is tooth 13, the upper left second premolar. Behind it is tooth 15, the upper left second molar. When it first comes in at about age 6, the tooth in front of it is usually still the baby second molar (tooth J), which the second premolar replaces years later.
Its mirror twin on the right side is tooth 3. The tooth in the same spot in the lower jaw is tooth 19, the lower left first molar.
Dental charts show the patient's right side on the left, so tooth 14 sits on the right half of the top row. Universal numbers continue across the top: upper left teeth run from 9 (the front tooth) to 16 (the wisdom tooth).
When does tooth 14 come in?
The upper first molars usually come in at 6–7 years according to the ADA chart. The AAPD chart gives 5.5–7 years.
In the ADA chart, they are among the first to come in, along with the lower first molars and the lower central incisors. In the AAPD's 13-step order, from the first molars (step 1) to the wisdom teeth (step 13), they are step 1.
Under the gum, according to the AAPD chart, it starts to harden (calcify) around birth, has a finished crown by 30–36 months and has a finished root by about 9–10 years, a few years after it comes into the mouth.
What does the upper first molar do?
Molars do the heavy grinding. Cleveland Clinic notes that about 90% of chewing happens on the molars. Molars have broad, flat chewing surfaces with 4–5 cusps (points) and the largest crowns of any teeth.
It is also called the "6-year molar". First molars are named for the age they usually arrive, about 6 years.
Adult molars don't replace any baby tooth. They come in behind the baby teeth as the jaw grows.
How many roots does tooth 14 have?
3 roots: two on the cheek side and one, usually the longest, on the palate side.
Common problems with upper first molars
- Treatment. Small cavities are fixed with a filling. If decay or an injury reaches the nerve, root canal treatment can save the tooth, often followed by a crown.
If tooth 14 hurts, feels loose, or the gum around it swells, the Dental Emergency Checker can help you decide how soon to see a dentist. Swelling that spreads to the eye or neck, or makes it hard to breathe or swallow, is an emergency: call 911. These are typical problems for this kind of tooth, not a diagnosis.
Tooth 14 in FDI and Palmer notation
| System | Tooth 14 is written | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Universal (ADA, used in the US) | 14 | Adult teeth are numbered 1–32 around the mouth, starting at the upper right wisdom tooth. |
| FDI / ISO 3950 (international) | 26 | First digit 2 = upper left quarter; second digit 6 = sixth tooth from the middle. Said "two-six". |
| Palmer | └6 (often typed UL6) | The └ bracket marks the upper left quarter; 6 = sixth tooth from the middle. |
"14" in FDI is a different tooth. Read as an FDI code, 14 means the upper right first premolar (tooth 5 in Universal). Charts and X-ray reports from outside the US often use FDI, so check which system is in use.
On a US chart, "26" is a different tooth. Universal 26 is the lower right lateral incisor (tooth 26), so "tooth 26" only means this tooth when the chart uses FDI.
Palmer needs the bracket. Every quarter of the mouth has a tooth 6 in Palmer notation; only the └ (or the letters UL) makes it this one.
All adult teeth in the upper left quarter
From the front of the mouth to the back:
| Universal | FDI | Palmer | Tooth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 21 | └1 (UL1) | Central incisor |
| 10 | 22 | └2 (UL2) | Lateral incisor |
| 11 | 23 | └3 (UL3) | Canine |
| 12 | 24 | └4 (UL4) | First premolar |
| 13 | 25 | └5 (UL5) | Second premolar |
| 14 | 26 | └6 (UL6) | First molar (this tooth) |
| 15 | 27 | └7 (UL7) | Second molar |
| 16 | 28 | └8 (UL8) | Wisdom tooth |
The Tooth Number Chart & Converter converts any tooth between the three systems.
Tools for tooth 14
- Adult Teeth Predictor: likely dates for your child's adult teeth.
- Dental Emergency Checker: how soon to see a dentist if it hurts or breaks.
- Dental Numbness Calculator: how long numbness lasts after a filling.
- Dental Insurance Calculator: what your plan may pay for a crown or root canal.
- How Long Does Dental Work Last?: how long fillings, crowns, veneers and implants usually last, from long-term studies.
- Dental Treatment Plan Decoder: plain English for treatment-plan shorthand like "#30 MOD comp".
Frequently asked questions
What tooth is number 14?
Is tooth 14 the same as tooth 26?
At what age does tooth 14 come in?
How many canals does tooth 14 have?
Sources
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Permanent Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dental Growth and Development (chronology after Logan & Kronfeld 1933, adapted 2003). Accessed October 26, 2026.
- World Health Organization. Oral health surveys: basic methods, 5th edition (tooth notation after ISO 3950). 2013. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Nelson SJ. Elsevier. Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion, 11th edition. 2019.
- American Dental Association. ADA Dental Claim Form (tooth designation systems). Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Types of Teeth and their Functions. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Permanent Dentition. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Cleveland Clinic. Teeth: Anatomy, Types, Function & Care. last updated January 26, 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Endodontists. What is a Root Canal?. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Cleghorn BM, Christie WH, Dong CC. Journal of Endodontics 32(9):813–821. Root and root canal morphology of the human permanent maxillary first molar: a literature review. 2006. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Ordinola-Zapata R, Azevedo B, Tataryn RW, Versiani MA. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America 57(6):927–939. Maxillary Dental Anatomy and Physiology: Endodontic and Periodontal. 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Wayman BE, Patten JA, Dazey SE. Journal of Endodontics 20(8):399–401. Relative frequency of teeth needing endodontic treatment in 3350 consecutive endodontic patients. 1994. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Aquilino SA, Caplan DJ. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry 87(3):256–263. Relationship between crown placement and the survival of endodontically treated teeth. 2002. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.