Does ‘long-molared’ have any special meaning?

Question

“You’re joking, Weasley!” said Malfoy, behind them. “You’re not telling me someone’s asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?” (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.404)[Bold font is mine]

N.B.: Malfoy, who hates Hermione very much, is insulting her. In the past, he hexed her front teeth into long, beaver-like teeth. However, her teeth are normal now. Mudblood is an insulting word in the magical world.

I know a molar is any of the large teeth at the back of the mouth. So I can’t understand why he refers to back teeth after his hex to her front teeth.

Does ‘long-molared’ have special meaning? Or does he say so on purpose in order to express his indifference to Hermione?

Urbycoz · Accepted Answer

No, it has no special meaning.

I expect Ms Rowling used the phrase "long-molared" because either:

she felt it sounded better than the technically accurate
"long-incisored". 
it was a mistake, that got missed by proof-readers.
she felt it was a likely mistake for Malfoy to make.

...or a combination of these.

Marcin · Answer

It's a reference to the phrase "Long in the tooth" which means someone old (and can be either positive or negative).

That phrase refers to the apparent extension of the incisors (eye teeth) by gum loss that occurs as one ages.

As to the choice of "molar" rather than "incisor"? Only Ms Rowling can say for sure, but I imagine it is for scansion as much as anything.

Adam Burke · Answer

I agree with @Urbycoz it has no special meaning. I think Rowling has deliberately chosen to trade off complete precision against some poetic qualities of the resulting phrase. Hermoine had large front teeth - incisors, not molars - but when insulting people all you really need to get across is "big teeth".
"Long-molared Mudblood" uses two trochees alliterating with "m": MOL-ared MUD-blood. It also employs variation rather than repeating a common word. The more musical phrasing carries the reader along with more momentum, as well as emphasizing Malfoy's role as a snobby git.

Does ‘long-molared’ have any special meaning?

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