The teeth of dogs: when do they change their baby teeth and what are teeth occlusions?

What teeth do dogs have? Because if you look at it, there are several different types and functions of teeth in the dog's mouth, which have different roles in feeding.

In previous articles, we discussed the role of oral hygiene in extending a dog’s lifespan and addressed the issue of yellow teeth, both raising awareness about the importance of maintaining dogs’ oral health. Now we summarise the types of teeth dogs have and the most common types of dental occlusion.

Dogs have milk teeth too

Dogs have 42 teeth, of which 12 are incisors, 4 canines, 4 canines, 12 premolars and 10 molars. Of these, 20 are located in the upper dentition and 22 in the lower dentition. Puppies are born without teeth because the teeth are located in the gums and are not visible. At 3.5 to 4 weeks of age, the milk teeth fall out of the gums. This process usually starts with the canines, followed by the incisors. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth, of which 14 are in the lower row of teeth and 14 in the upper row.

At 12 weeks of age, tooth replacement begins, when permanent teeth replace milk teeth. First, the incisors are replaced, then the canines. The P1 premolar does not change but falls out of the gum, and the molars appear in the same way, usually falling out at 6-7 months of age. The change of teeth also depends on the health of the dog and their breed. In large dogs in most cases, the teeth change sooner than in small dogs.

Types of teeth

The incisors are located at the very front of the upper row of teeth, embedded in the bone between the jaws, and in the lower row of teeth, embedded in the jawbone (usually designated I = incisivus). 6-6 of these are located in both the upper and lower rows of teeth, and their function is cutting. These are followed by the canines (C = caninus), 2 in the upper row of teeth and 2 in the lower row. The strong teeth were used to grasp prey and to drop the prey.

These are followed by 8 to 8 premolars (P=praemolaris) in the upper and lower dentition, then 4 above and 6 molars (M=molaris) below. The molars were used by the dogs to chew, chew and tear the prey.

Types of dental occlusion

The types of occlusion include scissor bite, pincer’s bite, overbite and underbite. In some dogs, the dentition is controlled for health reasons when justified.

For most species, the scissor bite is the preferred bite, in which case the incisors close like the two stems of the scissors, so that the upper teeth are slightly in contact with the inner surface of the lower incisors. In Pincer’s bite, the incisors lock on top of each other, i.e. they are in contact with their chewing surface. They are worn at a higher rate than in scissor bites. When it comes to overbite, the lower incisors close in front of the upper incisors, so that they wear on the opposite surface to the scissor bite (the outer part of the upper incisors and the inner part of the lower incisors). Excessive overbite is also called bulldog bite. Here the jawbone is often so shortened that the front incisors are visible when the mouth is closed.

In an underbite, on the other hand, the lower incisors are placed behind the upper incisors, with a smaller or larger space between them. This is more common in developmentally delayed dogs.

Prescribed dental occlusion in dog breeds

The different types of dental occlusion are specified in the standard, together with the criteria set. For some types, the absence of some teeth is tolerated, while for others complete dentition is mandatory. The dentition of participating dogs is also inspected at shows to check the presence and occlusion of teeth.