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Today we will use the help of a useful dog teeth diagram to explain dog teeth.
I believe using visual aids can usually explain something way better. Especially when I might be sitting at the opposite site of the world from your right now. So, a dog teeth diagram definitely comes in handy.
So as you can clearly see in the illustration above, there are four main types of dog teeth:incisors at the very front, followed by canines, in the middle we have premolars and at the back of your dogs mouth the will hopefully sport some molars.
Incisors
The incisors are the small teeth that you see at the front of your dog’s mouth. They are kind of the cute version of dog teeth.
Your dog’s incisors serve as little scrapers and are used for small biting motions such as nibbling or the carrying of objects. They are the thinnest of your dogs’ teeth.
IUsually there would be around 12 incisors in a healthy adult dogs mouth. Six would be in the top row, while the remaining six would grace their bottom jaw.
Canines
The canines are longer than incisors and are pointed and sharp.
Canines allow your dog to keep a nice firm grip on food in their mouth. Due to their sharp nature, they have been compared to vampire teeth. The fact that they are often used to puncture things has just fueled that image.
They can be divided into two categories: maxillary (two at the top of your dog’s mouth) and mandibular ( two at the bottom of their mouth) That adds up to a total of 4 canines in a healthy adult dogs mouth.
Premolars
Next, we have the premolars, or they are referred to as Carnassial tooth. They are the 4th largest tooth and are mainly used for chewing. As you can see in the dog teeth diagram, they are located directly behind your dogs’ canines and on the side of your dog’s mouth.
Have you ever seen your dog tilt his head slightly when eating or chewing on something? Well then, you have seen him use his premolars.
Your dog has 16 premolars in total. Eight are located at the top of the mouth and the other eight are located at the bottom
So far we have 12 incisors, 4canines, 16 premolars so, we are missing….
Molars
Molars are flat and hidden deep in your dog’s mouth ( behind the premolars, as the name would suggest).
They are used for the grinding and breaking down of large particles such as kibble and bones. And let’s hope not your shoes. In total, your dog has ten molars With only four at the top and the other six at the bottom. So with the previous teeth, this all adds up to 42 teeth.
Mother dogs use their molars to cut the puppies umbilical cord. This is to crush the end of the cord in a manner to reduce post-natal bleeding.
What is the difference between puppy and adult dog teeth?
When your puppy first starts teething, it can be super duper adorable. And you will most likely want to help them ease the pain of teeth growing.
Firstly, puppies don’t have molars. There is simply no need as their puppy diet doesn’t consist of the breakdown of large particles.
Additionally, they have a role in the weaning process. since the mother doesnt want to be cut by the sharp nips, the puppy will have to find a different source of food. This itself is an important developmental milestone.
Puppies also use their jaw and teeth to learn and understand their bite pressure; known as bite inhibition. This usually happens when play fighting with siblings or even by nipping at their mother.
Adult’s canines and molars are more specialised for a mature dog’s diet, as they have molars which are used for harder and rougher types of food.
Thoughts
We know that there is always much to learn about our favourite pets, no matter how much we already know. I am truly glad for pet owners that want to improve themselves for their pets. For more information on brushing your dogs’ teeth, you can read this article. Studying a dog teeth diagram is an example of that. Leave me a comment featuring you and your dogs with a smile. Read you next time!