Puppy teeth, and how to care for them
Puppies are not born with teeth and they do not get them until they are approximately six to eight weeks of age. In total a puppy will have 28 teeth, which are referred to as deciduous teeth, or most commonly, baby teeth.
The first of a puppy’s teeth to fall out are the incisors, then the premolars and then the canines. Puppies only have premolars and not actual molar teeth.
The teething process for puppies will continue over several months and can be extremely painful. You will know when a puppy is teething, as the will bite more and chew different objects to help relieve their discomfort.
When a puppy reaches the age of three to seven months old, they then begin to lose their baby teeth. As mentioned above, when a puppy is three months old the incisors fall out, which will then make room for their adult teeth to come through.
When your puppy has reached eight months old, they will most certainly have a full set of healthy adult teeth, which in total is 42 teeth, however, certain breeds do have fewer. The larger of dogs breeds, then the faster their teeth will grow. The breeds of dog that have fewer teeth are the Doberman, while greyhounds and spaniels often have more teeth.
When you puppy reaches three months old, you should ask your vet to have a look at their teeth to ensure there are no issues or problems with their bite. If the vet finds that there is a bad bite, then it may be necessary to pull out the baby teeth early.
