Dental Anatomy for Cats & Dogs

How many teeth should a dog or cat have? Do they have baby teeth? When do they lose them? These are some commonly asked questions, so here are the facts to answer all your dental dilemmas.

Types of teeth

Open wide! The four types of teeth in small animals are as follows: incisor, canine, premolar, and molar. Nature designed each to serve a special function.

Incisors

Incisors are named first, second and third (or central, intermediate, and lateral) based on their location in the mouth. There should be six incisors in the maxilla (upper jaw) and six in the mandible (lower jaw). Incisor teeth are used for shearing and grooming.

Canines

Normally, the lower canine should intersect the upper lateral incisor and upper canine.

Two large canine teeth are located in the mandible and two in the maxilla. The canines are designed to grasp and tear with great pressure.

Premolars and molars

Premolar teeth have sharp edges used for shearing. In the dog, there are four premolar teeth on either side of the upper and lower jaws. Dogs have four molars (2 on each side) in the upper jaw and six (3 on each side) in the lower. Molars have a flat surface used for grinding.

The cat has three premolars on each side of the upper jaw identified as second, third, and fourth; and two lower premolars on each side of the lower jaw, called third and fourth. Cats have one upper and lower molar on each side.

Tooth eruption timeline

The primary or deciduous incisors erupt at 1 to 3 weeks of age while the primary canines erupt at 3 to 4 weeks. The remaining temporary premolars and molars should emerge by 10 weeks. The first premolar and all the molars erupt only as adult teeth. The remaining premolars, canines, and incisors appear in the oral cavity first as primary (temporary, deciduous, or baby) teeth. Secondary (adult) teeth usually appear at 4 months. Adult incisors appear first followed by canines, premolars, and molars. The complete adult dentition should be present in most breeds by 8 months of age.

Tooth composition

A tooth is composed of a portion above the gumline called the crown and a section below the gumline called the root. Enamel, the hardest mineralised tissue found in the body, covers the crown. Cementum, which is attached to the periodontal ligament, covers the root. Dentin, softer than enamel, makes up the bulk of the tooth. Inside, the pulp is composed of live tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and lymphatics.