First Permanent Tooth Calcification — NDEB AFK MCQ
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Correct answer: C — Mandibular first molar
The mandibular first permanent molar begins calcification at birth (approximately 0-1 month of age), making it the first permanent tooth to begin mineralisation. The maxillary first molar begins calcification at approximately the same time or shortly after. This early calcification explains why the first permanent molars are the first to erupt (at age 6-7). Systemic insults (illness, nutritional deficiency, fluoride excess) occurring at birth or in early infancy preferentially affect the first molars and central incisors (MIH pattern).
Reference: Proffit – Contemporary Orthodontics, 6th ed., 2019