Tooth 14: Your Upper Left First Molar
Tooth 14 is your upper left first molar, not a premolar. See where it sits, what the number means, and why upper first molars need crowns and root canals so often.
Reviewed by the toothcheck Dental Team Independent dentist providing online second opinions.
Tooth 14 is your upper left first molar — a large chewing tooth toward the back of your mouth on the top left. It is a molar, not a premolar, which is one of the most common questions about this number.
Before anything else: left means your left, not the left of someone looking at you. Tooth 14 sits on the same side as your left hand. On an X-ray displayed the usual way you are viewing the films as though facing the patient, so tooth 14 appears on the right-hand side of the image.
Where Tooth 14 Sits
Counting back from the middle of your upper left side:
| Number | Tooth |
|---|---|
| 12 | Upper left first premolar |
| 13 | Upper left second premolar |
| 14 | Upper left first molar |
| 15 | Upper left second molar |
| 16 | Upper left wisdom tooth (third molar) |
So tooth 14 has the second premolar (13) directly in front of it and the second molar (15) directly behind. It is the first of the big square molars as you move backwards along the top left.
That neighbour relationship is why the search "tooth 14 and 15" comes up so often: those two sit side by side, and treatment plans frequently list them together because decay between adjacent molars tends to affect both surfaces at once.
Is Tooth 14 a Molar or a Premolar?
It is a molar — specifically the first molar. The distinction is easy to see once you know what separates them:
| Premolars (12, 13) | Molars (14, 15, 16) | |
|---|---|---|
| Biting surface | Smaller, two points | Wide, flat, several points |
| Roots | Usually one, sometimes two | Usually three on the upper jaw |
| Job | Tearing and some grinding | Grinding and crushing |
Tooth 14 is clearly in the second column: broad, flat-topped, and built for load.
What the Number 14 Actually Means
United States dentists use the Universal Numbering System, the standard behind the American Dental Association procedure codes. It labels the 32 adult teeth 1 to 32 in a single loop: starting at the upper right wisdom tooth (1), running across the top to the upper left wisdom tooth (16), dropping to the lower left wisdom tooth (17), then running back across the bottom to 32.
Tooth 14 falls in the upper left stretch, three teeth short of the end of the top row.
The same tooth is labelled differently elsewhere:
| System | Label for this tooth |
|---|---|
| Universal (United States) | 14 |
| FDI / ISO (most of the world) | 26 |
| Palmer | Upper left 6 |
If your records use a two-digit number like 26, that is this tooth. Our guide to Universal vs FDI tooth numbering covers converting between the systems.
Why Tooth 14 Needs Work So Often
Upper first molars are heavily restored teeth, for reasons built into their position and timing:
- They erupt around age six, earlier than most permanent teeth, so they have simply been exposed to more years of decay risk. They are often called the six-year molars.
- They carry a large share of the chewing load, which wears and cracks them ahead of smaller teeth.
- Their biting surface has deep grooves that trap food and resist brushing.
- No baby tooth is lost to make way for them. First molars erupt behind the existing baby teeth, so their arrival often goes unnoticed and they can miss the window when sealants would protect them best.
Two anatomical points matter if treatment is proposed on this tooth specifically. Upper first molars usually have three roots rather than the two found on their lower counterparts, and they commonly carry an extra canal in the cheek-side root — which makes a root canal here more involved than on a lower molar. And the roots sit close to the floor of the maxillary sinus, which is why extractions and implants in this position need careful imaging first.
Finding Tooth 14 on Your Own X-Ray
1. Establish the side. Films are conventionally displayed as though you face the patient, so the patient's left appears on the right of the image. 2. Look along the upper back teeth on that side. Upper molars are recognisable by their spread of three roots, against the single tapering root of a premolar. 3. Count forward from the wisdom tooth. If one is present it is 16, the next forward is 15, and the one after that is 14. With no wisdom tooth, the rearmost upper molar is usually 15.
There is a fuller walkthrough in how to identify tooth numbers on an X-ray, and what a dental X-ray report says explains the notation written next to each number.
If Work Has Been Recommended on Tooth 14
Upper first molars attract expensive treatment plans — crowns, root canals, and sometimes extraction and implant. Before agreeing:
- Check the number matches the side you feel it. Tooth 14 is on your left. The matching tooth on the upper right is tooth 3.
- Ask what the X-ray shows, not just what is proposed. A crown recommended on a lightly filled molar is a different case from one on a tooth that is mostly restoration already.
- Compare the fee locally. Crown costs and root canal costs vary widely by area, and the root canal on an upper molar usually costs more than on a lower one because of the extra canal.
If the plan seems out of proportion to the problem, a second opinion dentist can review the same images and tell you in writing whether it stands up. The reviewer has no financial interest in the answer.
Common Questions About Tooth 14
Which tooth is number 14?
Tooth 14 is your upper left first molar, a large chewing tooth toward the back on the top left. The US Universal Numbering System runs 1 to 32 across the adult teeth, and 14 sits three teeth short of the end of the upper row.
Is tooth 14 a molar or a premolar?
It is a molar, specifically the first molar. Premolars (12 and 13) are smaller with two points and usually a single root. Molars are wide and flat-topped, and an upper molar such as 14 usually has three roots.
Where is tooth 14 in your mouth?
On the top left, with the second premolar (13) directly in front of it and the second molar (15) directly behind. Left means your left, the same side as your left hand, so on an X-ray displayed the usual way it appears on the right of the image.
What is tooth 14 in the FDI numbering system?
Tooth 14 in the US Universal system is tooth 26 in the FDI or ISO system used across most of the world, and upper left 6 in Palmer notation. All three describe the same upper left first molar.
What are teeth 14 and 15?
They are the upper left first and second molars, sitting side by side. Treatment plans often list them together because decay between two adjacent molars tends to affect the touching surfaces of both at once.
Why is a root canal on tooth 14 more involved than on a lower molar?
Upper first molars usually have three roots rather than the two on a lower molar, and commonly an extra canal in the cheek-side root. More canals means more work, which is why the fee is typically higher. The roots also sit close to the floor of the maxillary sinus, so extractions and implants here need careful imaging first.
Last medically reviewed: September 2026