Dog teeth
All About Dog Teeth
Puppies are born without teeth, like human babies. Around the third week of life, teeth begin to emerge, with large breeds being earlier than small ones.
Types of teeth in the dog
There are four types of teeth; incisors, canines, premolars and molars . The incisors and canines, or also called fangs, serve to tear, grasp and tear. Premolars and molars for cutting and grinding.
Development of the dog’s teeth
The first teeth to erupt are the canines, followed by the incisors and premolars. The molars are directly the definitive ones and the last to come out around 4 months of age. The largest and most powerful molars in dogs are the so-called “meat teeth” found at the end of the gum.
Around three or four months begins the fall and change of the primary dog’s teeth for the permanent one. The incisors appear at approximately 3-4 months, followed by the canines at around 4 months and the premolars at around 6 months of age.
On some occasions and especially in toy breeds such as the Yorkshire terrier, the Maltese Bichon, the Pomeranian, the Chihuahua … the definitive teeth erupt before the milk teeth fall out, therefore they do not allow the provisional ones to fall, producing a double dentition. These are the so-called persistent teeth and it usually happens in canines and incisors. If at the end of the entire procedure they have not fallen, we must take our puppy to the vet to have his teeth checked and assess the problem. Double teething causes dental malocclusion, crowding, tartar problems, and bad odor.
Therefore, by seven or eight months, our puppy will have already completed the teething process, going from 28 infant teeth to 42 teeth of the adult dog.
Throughout the procedure we will give our puppy toys and teethers to reduce discomfort and prevent him from chewing on household items and when he is an adult we will take care of oral hygiene, brushing his teeth with a brush and paste indicated for dogs, sticks to avoid tartar and other things. that we will be happy to explain to you in our hospital.
On the other hand, in adult dogs, the incisors have a characteristic trilobed shape, called the fleur-de-lis. As the animal grows, the tip of the incisor will be filed or worn away, going from its pointed to blunt shape. This wear can help us determine the adult age of a dog. Therefore:
Wear process on the dog’s teeth
At seven and a half months the wear of the lower central incisors begins , with each passing year the next incisor wears out until, at three and a half years, the fleur-de-lis disappears from the incisor closest to the tusk.
From three and a half to four years old , the upper central incisors wear out. An incisor also wears out every year, so by age six and a half all incisors have a flat surface. In addition, changes in wear will begin to be observed in the lower tusks.
From six and a half to seven years, the lower central incisors continue to wear down, taking a downward curved shape like a crescent. After seven to eight this wear slopes outward.
From the age of ten, the teeth begin to lose support, they begin to move and it is common for them to fall out, especially in small breed dogs.
Emphasize that from the age of seven the wear is not so regular and depends on other factors and that from the age of three the teeth begin to yellow and tartar appears.
In summary and above all, your dog’s mouth must be clean and healthy, since tartar is a great source of infection for the entire organism. In our hospital we will teach you all kinds of care and we will check your pet’s mouth to assess it and advise you individually in the best possible way.
