Dog Dental Chart: All 42 Adult Teeth, Puppy Teeth & Triadan Numbers

A dog dental chart is the map veterinarians use to name, number, and record every tooth in your dog’s mouth. Once you can read one, your dog’s dental records stop looking like code — you know exactly which tooth “309” is, why the fourth premolar matters so much, and where plaque and tartar realistically build up first. This guide covers the adult and puppy charts, the Triadan numbering system, the teething timeline, and what the chart tells you about daily care.

Table of Contents

• Adult dog dental chart: 42 teeth
• The canine dental formula explained
• The Triadan numbering system
• Puppy dental chart: 28 baby teeth
• Puppy teething and eruption timeline
• What each tooth type actually does
• Where dental problems start on the chart
• Using the chart to guide daily care
• What to look for in a dental product
• When to call your veterinarian
• Frequently asked questions
• Sources

Adult Dog Dental Chart: 42 Teeth

The adult, or permanent, dentition is complete in most dogs by around seven months of age. The count is not symmetrical top to bottom: the lower jaw carries two more teeth than the upper because it has an extra molar on each side.

Tooth type	Upper jaw (maxilla)	Lower jaw (mandible)	Total
Incisors	6	6	12
Canines	2	2	4
Premolars	8	8	16
Molars	4	6	10
Total	20	22	42

The Canine Dental Formula Explained

Veterinary texts write the adult dog’s dentition as a dental formula. It looks cryptic but reads simply — it describes one side of the mouth, then doubles it:

Each letter is a tooth type — I incisor, C canine, P premolar, M molar. The number above the line is how many sit in the upper jaw on one side; below the line, the lower jaw. So “M 2/3” means two upper molars and three lower molars per side. Multiply the whole bracket by two for both sides and you reach 42.

Note what the puppy formula lacks: there is no M. Puppies have no deciduous molars at all, and they are also missing the first premolar. That is why 28 rather than 42.

The Triadan Numbering System

When your dental records say “extracted 408,” the modified Triadan system is what is being used. It gives every tooth a unique three-digit number, which is far less ambiguous than “the big one on the bottom left.”

The first digit is the quadrant, numbered clockwise as you face the dog:

• 100 — upper right (permanent)
• 200 — upper left (permanent)
• 300 — lower left (permanent)
• 400 — lower right (permanent)
• 500–800 — the same four quadrants for deciduous (puppy) teeth

The last two digits are the tooth position, counting from the midline backward. Position 01, 02, 03 are the incisors; 04 is always the canine; 05 through 08 are the premolars; 09 onward are the molars.

Tooth	Upper right	Upper left	Lower left	Lower right
Incisors 1–3	101–103	201–203	301–303	401–403
Canine	104	204	304	404
Premolars 1–4	105–108	205–208	305–308	405–408
Molars	109–110	209–210	309–311	409–411

Two numbers are worth memorising. 108 and 208 are the upper fourth premolars — the carnassial teeth, the largest chewing teeth in the upper jaw and by far the most common site of slab fractures and of the facial swelling below the eye that signals a tooth root abscess. 309 and 409 are the lower first molars, the lower carnassials, and among the most frequently affected by advanced periodontal bone loss.

Puppy Dental Chart: 28 Baby Teeth

Puppies are born without visible teeth. The deciduous set — 28 needle-sharp teeth — erupts over the first weeks of life and is entirely replaced by the permanent set.

Tooth type	Upper	Lower	Total
Incisors	6	6	12
Canines	2	2	4
Premolars	6	6	12
Molars	0	0	0
Total	14	14	28

Puppy Teething and Eruption Timeline

Timing varies by breed and individual — small breeds often run slightly later — but the sequence is consistent.

Age	What happens
2–4 weeks	Deciduous incisors and canines begin to erupt
4–8 weeks	Deciduous premolars erupt; full 28-tooth baby set in place by roughly 8 weeks
3–5 months	Permanent incisors replace baby incisors; heavy chewing phase begins
4–6 months	Permanent canines and premolars erupt; retained baby canines most often noticed here
5–7 months	Molars erupt — these have no baby predecessors
~7 months	All 42 permanent teeth typically present

The problem worth watching for is a persistent (retained) deciduous tooth — most often an upper canine. If a baby tooth is still present alongside its permanent replacement, the two crowd together, trap food and plaque between them, and can push the permanent tooth into an abnormal position. The general veterinary rule is that no two teeth of the same type should occupy the same socket at the same time; retained teeth are usually removed, often during the spay or neuter procedure.

What Each Tooth Type Actually Does

• Incisors (12) — small, single-rooted front teeth for nibbling, grooming, and scraping meat from bone. Because they are small and closely spaced, they collect calculus early and are frequently the first teeth lost to periodontal disease in small breeds.
• Canines (4) — the long, curved “fangs” used for grasping and holding. They have the longest roots of any dog tooth, with the root roughly twice the length of the visible crown, which is why extraction is a significant procedure.
• Premolars (16) — the shearing teeth along the sides of the jaw. Root count increases toward the back: the first premolar has one root, the fourth upper premolar has three.
• Molars (10) — flatter grinding surfaces at the back for crushing. The upper first molar (109/209) carries the broadest grinding table.

The carnassial pair — upper fourth premolar and lower first molar — work together like scissor blades and generate the highest bite forces in the mouth. That mechanical load explains why they fracture most often, especially in dogs given hard bones, antlers, or hooves.

Where Dental Problems Start on the Chart

Disease is not randomly distributed. Knowing the hotspots tells you where to look and where to concentrate care.

• Upper fourth premolars and molars (108, 208, 109, 209) — sit directly against the salivary duct openings, so mineral-rich saliva turns plaque into visible tartar here first. This is the classic brown band owners notice when they lift the lip.
• Lower first molars (309, 409) — prone to deep periodontal pockets and, in small breeds, to bone loss severe enough to weaken the jaw.
• Incisors — early loss in toy and small breeds, which have 42 teeth crowded into a much smaller jaw.
• Canines — fracture from cage-biting, rock-chewing, and trauma; a fractured tooth with an exposed pink or black centre is a painful, open route to the root canal and needs prompt veterinary attention.

Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition in adult dogs, and studies consistently find most dogs show some degree of it by three years of age. Small and brachycephalic breeds are disproportionately affected, largely because tooth crowding and rotation create plaque traps that a normal-length jaw does not have.

Using the Chart to Guide Daily Care

1. Concentrate on the outer surfaces of the back upper teeth. The tongue keeps inner surfaces relatively clean; the cheek side of 108/208 is where tartar concentrates.
2. Aim for daily plaque disruption. Brushing with a dog-safe toothpaste remains the gold standard — never use human toothpaste, as xylitol and fluoride are unsafe for dogs.
3. Use a realistic backup. Many owners cannot brush daily. Dental powders, water additives, and VOHC-accepted chews all help maintain oral hygiene between professional cleanings.
4. Lift the lip weekly. Check gum colour, tartar bands, and any fractured or discoloured tooth. Healthy gums are pink and firm, not red or bleeding.
5. Keep professional cleanings on schedule. Only a full-mouth exam under anaesthesia with dental radiographs reveals disease below the gum line — where much of each tooth sits.

For the complete routine, see our complete guide to dog dental care and our walkthrough of dog dental cleaning.

What to Look for in a Dental Product

• Seaweed-derived ingredients such as Ascophyllum nodosum — the most studied ingredient in sprinkle-on dental powders, taken orally and thought to act through saliva to help reduce plaque and tartar accumulation.
• Enzymatic systems — glucose oxidase and lactoperoxidase support the mouth’s own antibacterial defences.
• Zinc and calcium-binding compounds — help interfere with the mineralisation step that turns soft plaque into hard calculus.
• VOHC acceptance — the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal indicates a product met defined standards in controlled trials. It is the most objective label signal available.

Set expectations correctly: no powder, additive or chew removes calculus that has already hardened onto the tooth. These products help slow new accumulation. Existing tartar requires scaling by a veterinary team.

When to Call Your Veterinarian

• A fractured tooth, particularly with a pink, red or black spot at the centre — this exposes the pulp and is painful
• Red, swollen or bleeding gums, or gums receding away from the tooth
• Persistent bad breath that does not improve with routine care
• Dropping food, chewing on one side, or reluctance to eat hard kibble
• Facial swelling below the eye — a classic sign of an upper carnassial root abscess
• A loose or discoloured adult tooth
• A retained baby tooth still present after about seven months of age
• Adult tooth counts noticeably below 42 without a known extraction history

Frequently Asked Questions

How many teeth does a dog have?

An adult dog has 42 permanent teeth: 20 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower jaw. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth. The difference is that puppies have no molars and are missing the first premolar.

What is the dental formula for a dog?

The adult canine dental formula is 2 × (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3) = 42. The puppy formula is 2 × (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/3) = 28. Numbers above the line are upper-jaw teeth per side; numbers below are lower-jaw teeth per side.

What is tooth 104 on a dog dental chart?

Tooth 104 is the upper right permanent canine. In the modified Triadan system the first digit gives the quadrant (100 = upper right) and the last two digits give the position, where 04 is always the canine.

Why does the lower jaw have more teeth than the upper?

The lower jaw has three molars per side while the upper has only two, giving 22 lower teeth against 20 upper. Incisor, canine and premolar counts are identical top and bottom.

Do all dog breeds have 42 teeth?

Forty-two is the standard for all breeds, but the jaw housing them varies enormously. Toy breeds and brachycephalic breeds frequently have crowded, rotated or congenitally missing teeth, and crowding is a major reason these breeds develop periodontal disease earlier.

At what age do puppies lose their baby teeth?

Most puppies begin losing deciduous incisors around 3 to 4 months, with canines and premolars replaced between 4 and 6 months. The permanent set is usually complete by about 7 months. Swallowed baby teeth are common and normal.

Sources

• Merck Veterinary Manual — Dental Development in Animals
• Cornell Riney Canine Health Center — Dental Disease and Home Dental Care
• AAHA — 2019 Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2019.
• Niemiec B. et al. “World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines.” Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2020. doi:10.1111/jsap.13132
• American Veterinary Dental College — Nomenclature and the Modified Triadan System.
• Veterinary Oral Health Council — Accepted Products for Dogs.

Related reading: The Complete Guide to Dog Dental Care · Dog Dental Cleaning · Dog Dental Powder · Dog Dental Chews · Dog Dental Treats

Written by the Dog Health Insider Editorial Team. Last updated: August 10, 2026. This page contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Once you know which tooth is which, see what treating it costs in our dog dental cleaning cost guide.