Australian Dental Council (ADC) Test 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The correct answer is the resorption of the anterior ramus and apposition posteriorly. This process is important in the development of the mandible and the eruption of molars. As the mandibular molars erupt, they require adequate space to do so, and this is facilitated by the unique changes occurring within the mandible.

Resorption leads to the reduction of bone in the anterior part of the ramus, which helps create the necessary space behind the existing teeth for the new molars to come in. As the bone resorbs in the anterior section, apposition (the addition of new bone) occurs in the posterior area, providing a stable base for the emerging molars.

In contrast, while the apposition of the alveolar process and growth of the inferior border of the mandible are essential processes in the overall growth and alignment of the jaw, they do not specifically create space for the erupted molars in the same way. The movement of neighboring teeth can sometimes occur in conjunction with molar eruption, but it primarily serves to adjust to the changing dental arch rather than directly creating the space needed for new molars. The combination of anterior resorption and posterior apposition is what uniquely facilitates the eruption space for the newly emerging mandib