Did you know that a dog's age can be estimated from his teeth? In adult dogs, dental examinations can give a rough estimate of their age. Meanwhile, puppy teeth can provide a more accurate estimate because milk teeth generally fall out at a certain age. While only providing a rough estimate of the dog's age, this initial information may be quite useful.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Understanding Dog Teeth
Step 1. Understand the structure and layout of the dog's teeth
All dogs have 4 main types of teeth: incisors, canines, molars, and molars. All of these teeth are found in the upper and lower jaws, both on the right and left sides of the mouth.
- Incisors are small teeth that grow along the front of the mouth. Adult dogs have 6 incisors in the upper jaw and 6 incisors in the lower jaw. The incisors next to the canines are larger and more prominent than the incisors in the middle.
- The canines are located behind the incisors, 1 each on the entire side of the mouth, and a total of 4. These teeth are large and pointy.
- The small molars are located behind the canines. There are 4 small molars in the upper and lower jaws. The fourth molars at the top are very large.
- Behind the small molars are the molars. Two molars grow in the dog's upper jaw, and 3 molars grow in its lower jaw. The size of the first molar is larger than the other 2 molars.
Step 2. Understand your dog's teething
Puppies generally have 28 teeth. During the first 2-4 weeks of life, no teeth are visible in the dog's mouth. A puppy's milk incisors and molars begin to grow at 4-6 weeks of age. Over the next 3 months, there will not be much change in the dog's teeth.
- After 5 months, permanent teeth will begin to grow in dogs. Usually begins with the canines and molars first. By the time your dog is 7 months old, all of his permanent teeth will be complete. If your puppy's permanent teeth are complete, it's probably more than 7 months old. An adult dog has about 42 teeth.
- After adulthood, the dog's age is marked by changes in tooth color with use. At the age of 1 year, the dog's teeth are white and appear clean. By the end of 2 years of age, your dog's white teeth will begin to dull and tartar deposits will begin to form. This will cause the dog's back teeth to turn yellow. All of the dog's teeth will be yellow when he reaches 3-5 years old. Dog teeth will look very dull.
Step 3. Understand how and why dog teeth wear and decay
Tooth wear is natural, but can occur more quickly due to certain habits such as excessive chewing on hard objects (bones, stones, logs) or not being given dental care in young dogs. On the other hand, chewing is good for your dog's dental health. Chewing movements can help break down plaque and food debris on your dog's teeth.
- Understand also about the emergence of dental disease. By age 3, nearly 80% of dogs show symptoms of gum disease. This can be seen from the accumulation of brown and yellow tartar, inflammation of the gums, and bad breath. Gum disease is more common in small breed dogs.
- Food also plays a role in dog dental health. Dry food in dogs that chew vigorously can help remove some of the plaque from the teeth, thereby slowing down decay and preventing tooth loss. There are foods that are specially formulated to keep your dog's teeth healthy. Your veterinarian can recommend proper diet for your dog if you are concerned about the health of his teeth. Additives in dog drinking water can also be used to prevent tooth decay and the growth of tooth-destroying bacteria.
- While worn teeth are not particularly a risk to your dog's health, severely worn teeth may appear cracked. Excessively worn teeth can lead to root damage, which requires root treatment.
Part 2 of 2: Estimating a Dog's Age
Step 1. Estimate the age of the puppy by observing the growth of his teeth
Dog teeth grow quickly at a young age. Tooth changes in dogs of this age are very rapid, so they can be used to accurately estimate a dog's age. Count the type and location of your puppy's teeth to estimate his age.
- Puppies are born without teeth. After some time, the teeth will start to grow. The first baby teeth in dogs that will grow are generally canines, when they reach 3-4 weeks of age. At 4-5 weeks of age, the two middle incisors will erupt. Then, at 4-6 weeks of age, the first 2 molars erupt, and at 6-8 weeks the third molars will erupt. Small molars don't start growing until much later.
- Puppies 8 weeks old and older have 28 baby teeth. At around 4 months of age, a puppy's baby teeth will begin to fall out and their adult teeth will begin to grow. Puppies almost always swallow their lost milk teeth. However, dog owners sometimes find milk tooth splinter or see a puppy's gums bleeding where the new teeth are starting to grow. Just like humans, puppies this age also love to chew!
- At 4-5 months of age, the incisors, first molars, and adult molars will begin to grow. At 5-6 months of age, the canines, 2-4 molars, and second molars will begin to grow. Finally, at 6-7 months of age, the third adult molars will erupt. Until all the adult teeth of a dog are 42.
Step 2. Look at the condition of the adult dog's teeth to estimate its age
In the first 2 years of life, a dog's teeth are generally white and appear clean. At the end of the second year, the white color of the teeth will begin to look dull and tartar deposits begin to appear. This causes the dog's teeth to turn yellow. Eventually, worn-out teeth, as well as plaque and bacteria build-up, will begin to cause tooth aging. This is what will be used to estimate the dog's age.
- By age 3, most dogs will show signs of dental disease, yellow and brown tartar deposits, redness of the gums, and bad breath. Of course, a dog's teeth that are brushed by their owners daily and treated by a dentist on a regular basis will show no signs of these kinds of problems and ailments.
- After the age of 3-5 years, yellowing teeth will be more and more visible on all teeth. Teeth will look worn. As the dog ages, the teeth will appear to wear out more and more. The gums may fall so that the roots of the teeth are exposed, and trigger the teeth to fall out. Stains on the teeth will also appear more obvious, and change from yellow to brown.
- From the age of 5-10 years, the dog's teeth will appear increasingly worn. Signs of disease are likely to appear. By the age of 10-15, some of the dog's teeth may fall out, and the tooth decay is widespread.
Step 3. Consult a veterinarian if you need a more accurate estimate of your dog's age
Determining the age of a dog just by examining its teeth is difficult. Food, habits, dental care (or untreated teeth) play a role in hastening or slowing tooth decay in all dogs.
Tips
A dog's dental examination can only give a rough estimate of its age. The condition of the teeth is also greatly influenced by habits, eating patterns, and even the toys they chew
Warning
- Dogs don't always allow their teeth to be examined. Always be careful when placing your hand near the dog's mouth, and never put your hand in any unfamiliar or strange places in its mouth.
- A good dog owner will not neglect the health of his dog's teeth until they fall out (which indicates cavities and abscesses in the teeth) or cause their gums to bleed. This problem causes the dog to feel pain, but it is also a form of neglect in care from the dog owner's side.
