Periodontal disease in small dogs
Current veterinary studies report that 90% of dogs have periodontal (dental) disease by just one year of age. This high rate of disease in young dogs is believed to be influenced by the growing popularity of small and toy breeds, which are particularly susceptible to dental disease. While we don’t yet fully understand why small breeds are so much more likely to develop dental problems, several issues are thought to be involved in the process:
Another very important issue affecting dogs smaller than ten pounds (at adult size) is early degeneration of jaw bone density. In other words, very small dogs may have some loss of jaw bone density by just one year of age. When this problem is combined with shorter tooth roots, as is typical in smaller dogs, extractions are often necessary much earlier in life.
Ever wondered what your dog’s teeth look like? Take a look at our canine dental chart to explore dog teeth anatomy, the different types and what they’re used for.
Now we have looked at the dog dental chart, let’s explore the types of teeth dogs have and their purpose.
How Many Permanent Teeth Do Adult Dogs Have?
Molars, which are the final set of teeth that appear in your dogs mouth, should start to come in by the time hes 5–7 months old. That brings the total number of teeth dogs have in adulthood to 42:
Thats 10 more than adult humans!
Mulherin says theres no difference between how many teeth small dogs have compared to large dogs. “Whether they are 3 pounds or 130 pounds, they should all have the same number of teeth, regardless of the size or breed,” Mulherin says. “But genetically some have less, some have more, some only partially erupt, and some are unerupted.”
How Many Teeth Do Dogs Have?
Have you ever sat watching your furry friend chomping on a chew toy and wondered about your dog’s hard-working dentition? After all, our dogs don’t just use their teeth for eating, their gnashers often grip onto toys for a game of tug, or help them carry their favourite stick around the park.
Although we know our dogs use their teeth for almost everything, not many of us know how many teeth dogs have, how many sets of teeth to expect, and what each type of tooth is meant to do.
If you’re pondering how many pearly whites your pooch has, or whether you should expect to find puppy teeth falling out on the floor, read on to find out all you need to know about your dog’s teeth.