* When a puppy is born, it does not have any teeth at all. The teeth appear in the first two to three weeks after birth. By eight weeks old, a puppy has all of his teeth, twenty-eight in all. Some breeds do vary slightly from this number. The dog teeth consist of pre-molars (not full molars), incisors, and canines.

* Puppies will begin to lose these baby dog teeth around three months old.

* The first adult dog teeth to come in are the pointer canines. This new tooth development may be leave chew toys slightly bloody. Owners may not even notice that the puppy had started to lose his baby teeth. Most often they swallow them.

* The adult dog teeth begin to come through the gums just a few days after the puppy tooth is lost. You may notice when your dog begins teething because the dog will chew on anything, including your favorite shoes and your couch!

* The adult has forty-two dog teeth, quite a bit more than the twenty-eight puppy teeth. The lower jaw (mandible) of the adult dog contains twenty-two teeth, whiles the upper jaw, the maxilla, contains twenty teeth. The adult dog has twelve incisors, four canines, sixteen premolars, and ten molars, four of which are on the upper jaw and six on the lower jaw. Here is more information about dental care for you dog. Also, beware of dog teeth scaling dangers.

Click here for info about cleaning your cat's teeth.

Basic Dog Tooth Care: Brush Weekly or More Often

With all of the unique products for dog teeth on the market including various toothbrush styles and specially formulated toothpastes, it is much easier to clean your dog’s teeth. Many pet owners prefer the finger brush for dog teeth. This toothbrush is very similar to a finger brush used for infants. It is made of rubber and fits over your finger. There are soft bristles, also made of rubber, on one side of the brush. (You may simulate this with our regular dog tooth brush by extending a finger onto the backside of the brush.) Some dogs are less likely to chew on the toothbrush because the dog realizes it is your finger on his teeth and not a foreign object. Dogs do, however, also grow accustomed to the plastic toothbrushes quickly.

Chew Bones and Tartar Build-up

Plaque and tarter build-up on dog teeth occur just as it does in humans. Luckily, it is easy to get rid of this build-up on dog teeth. There is no scraping in the dentist’s chair! To keep dog teeth free from tartar buildup, the dog needs something tooth friendly to chew on such as a raw marrow bone or a knuckle bone. Chewing on the bone scrapes the buildup off the dog’s teeth. You can determine how many bones your dog needs based on the size of his teeth and the condition of his teeth. For most dogs, one beef knuckle bone monthly is sufficient. When the bone is worn down, throw it out so that the dog doesn’t accidentally swallow the small pieces.      

Scaling Dog Teeth

Your veterinarian can professionally clean your dog’s teeth. However, this should be a last resort as this can get very expensive and can be very dangerous and even sometimes deadly for your dog.

A Note on Chew Bones

While most people do recommend skipping bones entirely due to problems such as choking and perforated bowels, offering the right kind of bone can also eliminate these problems. Do not offer your dog cooked bones. These can splinter and cause choking. If swallowed, they can poke through the dog’s stomach or bowels. Only offer your dog raw bones that have not been cooked in any way. Raw bones are friendly for dog teeth. Raw bones remain soft so do not splinter. They also provide calcium and hours of entertainment for your dog. The only drawback to a raw bone is that it does become quite messy as your dog chews. It is a good idea to keep these bones outside or away from carpet and furniture. It is also very important that bones are not just given to your dog to chew on unsupervised so that you can remove any pieces that are worn too small so that they are not swallowed.