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anatomy guide

Dog dental anatomy — teeth overview

Overview of canine teeth — the deciduous and permanent sets, tooth types, and the shearing carnassials suited to a meat-leaning diet.
General educational reference only — not clinical or veterinary advice. Anatomy varies between individual animals; consult a licensed veterinarian for any health concern.

Tooth sets

Puppies first grow a temporary (deciduous) set of teeth that is later replaced by permanent teeth. An adult dog typically has 42 permanent teeth. The transition from baby to adult teeth occurs over the first several months of life.

Tooth types

Dogs have incisors for nibbling, long canine teeth for grasping and tearing, premolars, and molars. The upper fourth premolar and lower first molar form the carnassial pair, which act like shearing blades for slicing through tissue. This arrangement reflects a diet that includes animal protein.

Tooth structure

Each tooth has a visible crown covered in hard enamel and one or more roots anchored in the jaw. Inside is a pulp chamber containing blood vessels and nerves. Unlike some species, canine teeth have closed roots and do not grow continuously after they fully erupt.

Sources

More Dog anatomy

Digestive systemSkeletal systemCardiovascular systemRespiratory systemUrinary systemIntegumentary systemNervous system

Other species

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