Tooth Development and Shedding Practice Test

Root resorption during exfoliation happens where the erupting permanent tooth is closest to the deciduous root. For the maxillary anterior region, the permanent successor moves in from the lingual/palatal side, so odontoclasts initiate resorption on the lingual surface of the deciduous root. This surface-specific initiation allows the root to break down progressively as eruption continues, leading to loosening and eventual shedding. The other surfaces aren’t the start point because they don’t face the erupting tooth in the same way; resorption begins where the erupting tooth engages the deciduous root.