Eruption Chronology — ORE Part 1 MCQ

Correct answer: D — First molar → Central incisor → Lateral incisor → Canine → First premolar → Second premolar → Second molar → Third molar

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · D = shown as B · A = shown as D

Option A is correct. Multiple peer-reviewed studies confirm that mandibular permanent teeth erupt in the sequence: first molar → central incisor → lateral incisor → canine → first premolar → second premolar → second molar. The first molar and central incisor erupt nearly contemporaneously around age 6, followed in sequence by the remaining teeth. Option B reverses the order of first molar and central incisor. Options C and D present internally disordered sequences inconsistent with established developmental biology. Option E is plainly incorrect. The third molar in option A has highly variable eruption timing (sometimes age 16–20 or later) and is often omitted from standard sequences but does not invalidate option A as the best answer for the first seven teeth.

Reference: Multiple sources cited: (1) Evaluation of the Relationship between Weight/Height Percentiles and Eruption of Permanent Dentition (PMC9330262, 2022): lower arch sequence documented as central incisor, first molar, lateral incisor, canine, first and second premolars, second molar; (2) Time and Eruption Sequence of Permanent Teeth in Hyderabad Children (PMC6212657, 2018): mandibular sequence 6-1-2-3-4-5-7; (3) Sequence and Chronology of Permanent Teeth Eruption in Chennai Children (PubMed 39815721, 2025): mandibular first molar first at ~5.5 years. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9330262/