How Many Teeth Do Dogs Have? – CanineJournal.com

Dogs will have two sets of teeth in their lifetime. Much like humans, they have a set of deciduous (baby) teeth and a set of permanent teeth, also called secondary teeth. However, dogs have more teeth than humans in each set, with 28 baby teeth and 42 secondary teeth.

Incisors

Incisors are the front teeth. These teeth are the smallest and serve several functions like nipping and biting, scraping meat off a bone, and grooming. Most adult dogs have 12 incisors — six on the top and six on the bottom.

Canines

Next to the incisors are the long pointed teeth known as the canines. Dogs use these teeth for shredding and tearing meat. They also bite and lock onto something your dog wants to hold on to like a bone or chew toy. There are four permanent canines, two on top and bottom.

Premolars

Premolars come in behind the canines. These are sharp teeth, used to chew and shear food. If you notice your dog chewing something on the side of his mouth, he’s probably using his premolars. There are 16 premolars in most adult dogs’ mouths, eight in both the top and bottom.

Molars

In the very back of the mouth are the molars. These flat, strong teeth grind and chew more hearty foods. You’ll see four molars on top and six molars on the bottom in most adult dog mouths.

Guide To Dog’s Teeth Infographic

Puppies are usually born without any teeth, but the baby teeth start to come in quickly. By six months old, the baby teeth will be gone, and all of the permanent teeth should be present. Here is a timeline for how this process works.

• Two Weeks To One Month: Teething begins as baby teeth start to erupt, starting with incisors and followed by premolars, molars, and finally canines.
• Five Weeks To Two Months: All 28 baby teeth will be in, and by the two-month mark, your puppy may start to lose his baby teeth.
• Three To Four Months: By the three to four-month mark, the baby teeth start to fall out more quickly. The permanent teeth begin to erupt almost immediately after the baby teeth fall out. The loss of baby teeth and the eruption of permanent ones follow the same order as the baby teeth eruption pattern: incisors, premolars, molars, and then canines.
• Six Months: At this point, all the baby teeth should be gone. It’s vital to take your dog to the vet for a tooth check to ensure everything looks good and there are no issues.

Dog teeth are powerful, but they’re not indestructible. Like people, dogs can break their teeth by chewing on tough things or from an injury. However, dogs are much less likely than humans to get cavities because their saliva does a better job preventing them.