- Incisors: These are the small teeth with a sharp cutting surface and used for grasping and tearing, grooming and nibbling.
- Canines: These are designed to pierce food. These are usually used particularly in holding prey, as they are very pointy.
- Premolars: Used for crushing and cutting food.
- Molars: These are lots bigger than premolars and are used for grinding and crushing food.
In dogs and cats their adult teeth start to come through from around the age of 3 months of age.
Often the baby teeth get swallowed, so the owner will see no indication other than bleeding and redness along the gum line.
Some breeds with squashed
faces have problems with their teeth coming through and this can leave them with fewer teeth, teeth that are facing the wrong way or a wrongly aligned jaw.
Vets have recognised that inappropriate diets and lack of oral hygiene are an important factor in early onset of dental disease.