How to best care for your cat’s teeth and support their oral health can feel like a complicated subject, but it doesn’t have to be! It’s an important topic to discuss, since your cat’s oral health directly impacts their overall health and well-being. Today, we’ll discuss your cat’s teeth and growth timelines, dental conditions to be aware of, and how you can provide your beloved cat with the best oral health care possible!
How Many Teeth Do Kittens Have?
Did you know that kittens are born without teeth? First, they’ll grow baby teeth, similar to how we do, but the growth timeline is more accelerated than it is in humans. Their set of baby teeth includes 26 teeth: 12 incisors, four canines, and 10 premolars. These will naturally fall out over time before and as their adult teeth begin to emerge.
Teething Timeline
Kittens teeth begin to emerge around 2-4 weeks old By weeks 6-8, they should have their full set of fully grown baby teeth, also known as “milk” or “deciduous” teeth or more scientifically as “primary” teeth.
When your kitten is between 3-6 months of age, you may notice that they are more prone to chewing—whether on toys or anything else in sight. This is the start of the teething process when your kitten is trying to loosen baby teeth to make space for permanent adult teeth to grow. During this process, you may find some of their baby teeth around in the house. You needn’t be alarmed, as this is completely normal. It’s unlikely that you’ll find all 26 of your kitten’s baby teeth, since some of the teeth are naturally swallowed.
How Many Teeth Do Adult Cats Have?
After the teething process is finished, your cat should have 30 permanent adult teeth. All permanent adult teeth typically emerge by around 6-7 months of age. This will include 12 incisors, four canines, 10 premolars, and four molars.
Types of Cat Teeth
Cat teeth are designed with specific functionality. As carnivores, or meat-eaters, cats have razor-sharp teeth in the front of their mouth for tearing into prey and jagged to flat-surfaced teeth toward the middle and back of their mouth for transforming food into smaller pieces for chewing and grinding. There are four different types of cat teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. It’s helpful to know what each looks like and the role that they play.
