Posted April 4, 2018 . The average adult has eight permanent premolars. These important teeth reside between the teeth in the front of your mouth and the molars in the back of your mouth.

What happens if you lose your premolars?

In time the structural void left by the missing premolar can also cause the surrounding teeth to gradually drift out of alignment. This could leave you increasingly susceptible to problems with dental attrition and dental fractures on the corresponding teeth in your bite pattern.

Which type of tooth will a premolar replace?

Before the roots form, the developing tooth is called a "tooth bud." Eventually, the 20 primary teeth are replaced by 32 permanent teeth. The primary molars are replaced by permanent premolars (also called bicuspids) and the permanent molars come in behind the primary teeth.