WHAT IS NORMAL TOOTH ANATOMY FOR THE DOG AND CAT?
Dogs have 28 primary (baby) teeth and 42 adult teeth. Cats have 26 primary teeth and 30 adult teeth. The primary teeth erupt between 3-12 weeks of age. These teeth are replaced by permanent teeth between 4-6 months of age. Incisors are the small teeth in the front of the mouth between the large canine teeth. Dogs and cats have six upper and six lower incisor teeth. The canine teeth are the large (fang) teeth located next to the incisors on either side. The incisors and canine teeth are used for grasping food and toys as well as directing the tongue in the mouth. Next, the premolars are located on either side and in back of the canine teeth. Dogs have four upper and four lower premolars while cats have three upper and two lower premolars. Behind these teeth are molars. Premolars and molars serve to shear, cut, and grind food. The way teeth align with each other is called occlusion. Normal occlusion occurs when the upper incisors just barely overlap the lower incisors. For some dog breed
