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⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is informational only and not a substitute for veterinary care. Always consult your veterinarian if you suspect your pet may have a medical condition and before starting or changing any treatment.
Many owners wonder how many teeth their dogs have, and how different their mouths are to ours. This article provides clear and accurate information on canine teeth, including an easy-to-read eruption timeline and useful information on how to care for teeth and prevent tooth loss.
Here, you’ll learn about the difference between puppy and adult dog teeth, the function of each tooth type, and the various dental issues that can occur.
This complete guide of canine teeth will answer your most burning questions and set you and your furry pet on the right track when it comes to dental care and hygiene.
How Many Teeth Are in a Dog’s Mouth?
Types of Dog Teeth & Their Functions
Puppy Teeth — Counts & Timeline
Do Small Dogs or Specific Breeds Have Fewer Teeth?
How Many Teeth Do Small Dogs Have?
Common Problems — Crowding and Retained Teeth
Can Dogs Lose Their Teeth? Common Causes
Eruption & Teething Timeline (At-a-Glance)
Most adult dogs have 42 teeth. These permanent teeth are split between 4 quadrants- the right and left upper and lower quadrants.
For a puppy, once they’ve finished teething, they’ll have 28 deciduous teeth in total. As you can see, this is only ⅔ of the amount they’ll soon have.
Let’s take a closer look at the teeth in an adult dog’s mouth.
Incisors: There are 12 incisors, which are the most visible teeth, at the front of the mouth. These are single rooted teeth.
Canines: Dogs have 4 canines, one in each mouth quadrant. They are also single-rooted, and are sharp- often referred to as fangs.
Premolars: Most dogs will have 16 premolars; 8 on the top and 8 on the bottom.
Molars: While puppies do not have any molar teeth, adult dogs should have 10. There are 4 on the top jaw (maxilla) and 6 on the bottom jaw (mandible).
Did you know, each tooth has a different shape and structure, allowing it to carry out its designated function to its best ability?
The incisor teeth are positioned right at the front, and often take the first bite from a piece of food. They grasp meat from the bone, and position food in the mouth.
These front teeth are also great for nibbling and are used to tease out mats in the fur and to prevent tangles. Dogs also utilise them when grooming out bits of debris and vegetation from their paws and coat.
The sharp canine teeth are excellent at holding and then ripping and tearing meat from bones. During dog fights, they’re often the teeth that penetrate the skin of the other dog, causing the most damage.
These flatter teeth do a great job of chewing and making meat and other food smaller, so that it is easier to swallow. You might notice your dog tilts his head to the side a little when using these teeth.
The molar teeth are the largest, with the most roots. Again, they’re important for breaking food into smaller parts, and are especially useful for eating harder foods like kibble.
While puppies do not keep their deciduous teeth for long, they sure do cause a lot of trouble! It is these razor sharp little teeth that constantly nick your skin and chew up your prized possessions as your playful pup explores the world around them.
A puppy has 28 deciduous teeth once they have finished teething, at about 6-7 weeks of age. Considering the first tooth only appears at 3 weeks, this is a fast turnaround!
Puppy teeth erupt from the 3rd week to about the 7th. Just 4-5 weeks later, the puppy teeth are getting replaced by adult teeth. At 7 months of age, all deciduous teeth have been lost and the adult teeth have emerged.
Much of the puppy’s first 6 months of life they are teething. The discomfort and irritation that this causes means that they often want to gnaw and chew on things- a source of discontent for many owners.
Although teething stops by about month 7, the chewing continues for many months past this, as it becomes a habit and dogs find it entertaining.
Your puppy will lose all 28 of their deciduous teeth. Interestingly, you won’t always realise when this is happening. Many puppies swallow their teeth, or they are lost outside and never seen by the owner.
Sometimes, the baby tooth doesn’t fall out as it is supposed to. This leads to overcrowding, as both the deciduous and the permanent tooth fight over the same spot in the mouth. This most commonly happens with the incisor and canine teeth, particularly in smaller breeds like Chihuahuas.
If a tooth has not fallen out by about month 7 or 8 and is not loose, your vet is likely to advise it is surgically removed. This can coincide with neutering surgery in some cases, to avoid the need for two general anaesthetics.
Tooth Type
Number of Teeth
(Adult Dog)
Location/Function
Incisors (Front Teeth)
12 (6 upper, 6 lower)
Used for nibbling and grooming
Canine Teeth
4 (2 upper, 2 lower)
Used for gripping and tearing
Premolars
16 (8 upper, 8 lower)
Used for shearing and chewing
Molars
10 (4 upper, 6 lower)
Used for grinding food
Total Teeth
42
Though you may assume smaller breeds have less teeth, this should not be the case. Every dog should have the same number and type of teeth, whether they are a Yorkshire Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, or a Great Dane.
Small dogs and giant ones alike, should all have 42 teeth- assuming they are healthy. In reality, many older small breeds have lost teeth once they pass the age of 10 or so, thanks to chronic periodontal disease.
It was not so long ago that a Chihuahua or Maltese was a wolf! Through selective breeding, humans have shrunk the dogs, but in spite of their skull and jaw shrinking considerably, the number of teeth remained unchanged. This makes for crowding and often teeth are at an angle and do not have enough space.
Smaller breeds are also more prone to retained teeth (deciduous teeth that do not fall out when they should). This is due to the crowding, and the teeth not being in the position that they ought to be.
Yes, dogs can lose their adult teeth, particularly in their senior years of life. However, for it to get to this point, the dog has often been living with dental disease and chronic pain for a long time.
About 80% of dogs over the age of 3 have some periodontal disease- mainly down to the fact that owners don’t brush their teeth regularly. Common symptoms include red gums, bad breath, and a visible brown build up (calculus) on the tooth surface.
Small dogs are more prone to periodontal disease due to overcrowding, but it is something that is seen in all breeds. The older a dog, the more chance they will develop it and usually the more severe it is. Those fed on soft and wet foods tend to experience more dental disease.
Teeth can fracture due to trauma such as being hit in the face with a stick, car accidents or chewing on hard objects like stones or rocks. It is not uncommon for the tops of the canines to fracture off, or for there to be a fracture line (slab fracture) in a molar tooth.
If the dental pulp (nerve) is exposed, this will cause pain and can also lead to serious infection. In these cases, the advice is to perform a root canal or extract the tooth. In reality, most teeth are extracted as it is a costly and specialised procedure to perform a root canal on a dog.
Tooth decay is incredibly common in dogs, given that the vast majority of owners never brush their dog’s teeth. A dog will never complain about having a sore tooth, but may show signs such as a preference for soft food or drooling.
Do not wait until your dog stops eating to have them checked out, as this is not likely to happen until a dog is in extreme pain.
As well as the issues discussed above, another common issue is the wearing down of teeth - something seen especially in dogs who constantly carry balls in their mouth or who chew stones. You may notice that the incisors and canine teeth are much shorter than they should be.
While puppy tooth loss is normal and expected, an adult losing a tooth should not be. All of the above conditions can play a role
2 to 4 weeks: Deciduous incisors erupt.
4 to 7 weeks: Full set of 28 puppy teeth have emerged..
3 to 4 months: Baby teeth start falling out; adult incisors appear.
4 to 5 months: Adult canines & premolars erupt.
5 to 7 months: Molars erupt; and the dog now has 42 adult teeth.
Dogs have two sets of teeth, which develop within the space of 7 months- so puppies actually ‘teethe’ twice.
Where possible, you want to brush your dog’s teeth. Although daily is best, even doing it a few times a week can have a noticeable impact. Use a dog tooth brush or finger brush and some tasty (e.g. beef or peanut butter) tooth paste.
Offer safe dental chews and VOHC-approved products and avoid riskier chews like raw hide, Yaks and bones.
Your vet should check your dog’s teeth at every visit, noting down any issues and highlighting what prevention needs to be done. It is not unusual for a dog to need a professional cleaning under anesthetic several times during their lifetime.
Your vet may advise your dog has some dental X-rays during their dental. This allows them to visualise under the gum line, assess the health of the bone, and to ensure all tooth roots have been removed during any extraction.
Weekly oral care routine:
Daily tooth brushing using dog safe tooth paste
Daily mouth wash using chlorhexidine containing canine mouth wash
Regular dental chews or treats
Weekly full mouth exam
Some of the most common signs that there is an issue include:
Bad breath
Drooling
Bleeding gums
Reluctance to eat or a preference for softer foods
Pawing at mouth
Loose teeth
A thick build-up of calculus on the surface of the teeth
Seek veterinary care if your dog has signs of pain, visible bleeding, or sudden tooth loss.
Are dogs born with teeth?
No, dogs do not develop any teeth until about 2 weeks old.
Do dogs have wisdom teeth?
No, there aren’t any teeth that erupt in adolescent or older dogs, they have all of their teeth once 7 months of age.
Is it bad for my dog to have a tooth extracted?
If your vet has recommended a dental, it is in your dog’s best interest to go ahead, and for any extractions to be performed as needed. Leaving an unhealthy tooth in the mouth will cause pain and can lead to serious infection.
Can dogs eat as normal after they’ve had teeth removed?
Yes, they certainly can! In fact, your dog will be able to eat with much more ease once any sore or infected teeth have been removed. Even dogs with no teeth can use their gums to chew up food.
While puppies develop a set of 28 teeth by the age of 7 weeks, these are all replaced by 42 adult teeth just a few short months later. You can help keep these teeth healthy with daily brushing and regular dental exams.
Healthy teeth means a happier dog, and by reducing periodontal disease you can be helping your dog live a longer and much more comfortable life.
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