Most dog lovers are in agreement, puppy breath is the absolute best. However, as every dog owner knows, this can change dramatically over the course of that sweet puppy’s life. In this article, we’ll discuss what to expect with puppy dentition (the arrangement or condition of the teeth in a particular species or individual), and how to keep those adult puppy teeth as healthy as possible.
How Many Teeth Do Puppies Have?
Puppies are born with no teeth (which makes nursing so much more comfortable for mom!). The deciduous, or ‘baby’ teeth start to come in around 2 to 3 weeks of age. Generally, by age 8 to 10 weeks a puppy will have a full set of 28 deciduous teeth.
When Do Puppies Lose Their Baby Teeth?
You may notice those teeth are super sharp! The deciduous teeth have very thin enamel and long roots. The sharpness helps puppies to chew on food while their jaws are gaining strength. Luckily, those razor-sharp teeth all typically fall out and are replaced by much less sharp adult teeth. This usually occurs between 4 and 6 months of age. Adult dogs have 42 teeth, which makes our 28 teeth seem like a small number!
Monitoring the Puppy Teething Process
Regular puppy veterinary visits are a crucial time for the teeth to be examined and ensure the mouth and dentition are forming correctly. Your veterinarian will look for common puppy dentistry problems as the new adult teeth come in. Catching these problems early in the course of your puppy’s growth is crucial to being able to correct them. Interceptive orthodontics is the term used when referring to anything done to deciduous teeth. Typically, intervention is needed to allow the adult teeth to grow properly and encourage the jaw and bite to align in a comfortable fashion.
Common Puppy Dental Problems
Fractures of Baby Teeth
One of the most common problems for puppy teeth are fractures. Those baby teeth have very thin walls and can break, exposing the pulp, which is the living inside portion of the tooth. The pulp houses the nerves and blood supply. Fracturing a deciduous tooth is initially painful, but the tooth quickly dies. When the pulp is ‘dead’ (you can tell because the normally white tooth will become grey) it is no longer painful, but can cause problems with the newly developing adult tooth.
It may be okay to wait to have the fractured baby tooth extracted until your puppy is spayed or neutered, but in some cases, extraction is necessary immediately.
Retained Deciduous Puppy Teeth
Another common pediatric dentistry problem is retained deciduous puppy teeth. This is especially common in smaller breed dogs, such as Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers. That persistent baby tooth can trap debris and bacteria against the adult tooth and cause problems. In addition, when two teeth erupt from a space that is meant for one tooth, it can cause the adult tooth to be misaligned. This can cause problems with the bite.
A common time to address retained baby teeth is at the time of the spay or neuter. Any baby tooth persistent beyond six or seven months of age should be professionally extracted under anesthesia.
Jaw Malalignment
Malalignment is another common pediatric dentistry concern. Malalignment is complicated by the fact that many breeds have been genetically influenced to have disproportionate maxillary (top) and mandibular (bottom) jaw components. One look at a Bulldog smile will illustrate this perfectly!
While we tend to view this underbite as ‘cute,’ it can have negative health implications for the dog. Alternately, an overbite can lead to even more issues. An overbite causes the lower canine (‘fangs’) and incisors (small front teeth) to hit the roof of the mouth, causing pain, inflammation and damage to the palate. In severe cases, it may be pertinent to perform a crown reduction on the lower teeth to prevent injury to the sensitive soft tissue of the roof of the mouth.
Base Narrow Canines
A base narrow mandible is another juvenile dentistry issue that can require interceptive orthodontics. When the lower canine teeth are narrow and the upper jaw is wider, the lower teeth often hit the roof of the mouth causing trauma. Since the adult teeth typically erupt to the inside of the deciduous teeth, not correcting this early can lead to a permanent tooth malocclusion that can lead to injury and pain.
Extracting these narrow deciduous teeth early in the course of development, sometimes as early as 8 weeks of age, can allow the pup to close its mouth comfortably. It also removes the roots of the deciduous teeth so that the permanent adult teeth can erupt through the opening where those roots were, improving the chance for more normal eruption of the lower adult canine teeth.
Keeping Puppy Teeth Healthy
Lastly, perhaps the most important topic in terms of juvenile dentistry is setting up a good oral hygiene routine. Even though those razor-sharp puppy baby teeth will all fall out and be replaced with adult teeth, getting your pet used to brushing will help ensure you can continue to care for the adult teeth. Regular brushing is the gold standard for removing plaque, which is the precursor to tartar.
There are many dental products including dental sprays, rinses, chews, treats, powders, water additives and wipes, to name a few! All can be an important part of a good dental hygiene routine for your puppy. When you have your first veterinary visits, be sure to utilize your veterinarian as a resource for navigating the ins and outs of preventative dental care so you can set your pup up for a healthy mouth. A policy from Pets Best Pet Insurance may be able to help you navigate the costs that come with periodontal disease. Get a quote today!*
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