How long do puppies teeth?

Puppy teeth are small, sharp, and temporary—but they matter more than many first-time owners expect. Understanding when and how a puppy’s teeth develop helps you meet nutritional needs, manage chewing behavior, protect dental health for life, and keep your home safe while a puppy explores the world with its mouth.

What Puppy Teeth Reveal About Health and Behavior

When a puppy’s baby teeth appear, your pup’s chewing ability and feeding are affected. Puppies typically move from milk to canned or softened kibble at the same time their deciduous teeth come in, so being aware of this timeline helps you provide the right texture and nutrition for efficient eating and digestion. I often advise owners to adjust food size and consistency while deciduous teeth and early adult teeth are present to avoid frustration or choking.

Teething also shapes behavior and bite development. The period when puppies mouth and chew heavily is not just nuisance chewing—it’s when they learn bite inhibition and when tooth position is set. Gentle guidance now may reduce hard-biting later, while unmanaged mouthing can coincide with retained baby teeth or misaligned adult teeth that influence how a dog bites and holds objects.

Finally, dental health in puppyhood is likely linked to lifelong oral condition. Early overcrowding, retained teeth, or infections may predispose a dog to tartar, gum disease, or fractured teeth later on. Puppy-proofing—removing hazardous small objects, supervising play, and offering safe chews—reduces the risk of broken or swallowed items during teething.

Teething Timeline — Key Stages from Birth to Adult Teeth

For a quick reference: deciduous (baby) teeth usually erupt around 3–6 weeks of age; puppies typically begin to lose those baby teeth at roughly 12–16 weeks; most adult teeth come in between about 4–6 months; and full adult dentition is commonly complete by 6–7 months, with some breed-to-breed variation. Puppies are born without visible teeth, then by about one to two months they have a full set of 28 baby teeth. The adult mouth usually contains 42 permanent teeth.

From Buds to Bites: How Puppy Teeth Develop

Tooth development starts inside the jaw well before teeth are visible. Small structures called tooth buds form and push toward the gum as the crown develops. In deciduous teeth, roots are short; when the adult tooth below grows, it often stimulates resorption of the baby tooth root so that the baby tooth loosens and falls out. That resorption process may not be perfect—retained baby teeth can persist if the root doesn’t resorb fully.

The purpose of two sets of teeth is practical: baby teeth fit a small mouth and allow early feeding and exploring, while adult teeth are larger, stronger, and suited for the mechanical demands of chewing a mature diet. Teeth also serve social signaling—posture and bite display matter in play and communication with other dogs—so eruption times can influence how puppies interact within litters and with people.

As adult teeth erupt they influence jaw alignment and bite. If an adult tooth comes in too far forward, backward, or at an angle—often because of crowding or jaw size mismatches—the puppy can develop an overbite, underbite, or other malocclusion. Some misalignments are cosmetic; others increase the risk of tooth wear, gum damage, or difficulty grasping toys and food.

When Teeth Erupt: How Breed and Size Affect Timing

Breed size and genetics affect the teething schedule. Small-breed puppies often have relatively early eruption and a risk of crowding because adult jaws are compact, so I see retained or crooked incisors more commonly in toy breeds. Large-breed puppies grow their jaws over a longer period; adult teeth may erupt later and appear relatively larger, which sometimes leads to spacing that corrects as the jaw grows.

Nutrition and hormonal influences are also relevant. Puppies on balanced diets that support steady growth are likely to follow expected eruption patterns, while extreme under- or over-nutrition may shift timing. Genetic predispositions can lead to missing teeth, extra teeth, or congenital jaw differences. Illness, fever, or trauma to the mouth as a puppy may delay eruption or damage developing tooth buds, so a history of early illness is worth mentioning to your veterinarian.

When to Seek Help: Dental Red Flags for Puppies

Most teething is messy and uncomfortable but not dangerous. However, certain signs suggest a problem that may need veterinary attention. Retained baby teeth—where a small tooth remains next to the new adult tooth—can lock adult teeth out of proper position and is a common reason for extraction at the time of spay/neuter for many dogs.

If you notice persistent bleeding, yellow or green discharge (which may suggest pus), swelling of the gums or face, severe or prolonged pain, refusal to eat, or asymmetry of the face, these are red flags. Broken, discolored, or overly loose adult teeth also warrant prompt evaluation. I typically advise owners to call if bleeding persists beyond a day, if a puppy cannot or will not eat, or if a swelling near the mouth develops rapidly.

What Owners Should Do During Teething: Practical Care Steps

1. Schedule veterinary checks at routine vaccination visits and specifically plan a visit around the 6-month mark; this is a good time to evaluate for retained teeth and general oral development.
2. Offer age-appropriate chew items and supervise chewing sessions; remove small or degradable items that could be swallowed whole.
3. Begin gentle tooth-brushing early using a soft finger brush or pediatric toothbrush and puppy-safe toothpaste to acclimate your puppy to oral care; short, positive sessions are better than forceful efforts.
4. Photograph and lightly chart the puppy’s teeth every few weeks—front and side views help you and your vet spot retained teeth or shifting bites.
5. Consult your veterinarian if a baby tooth persists more than a few weeks after the corresponding adult tooth erupts, if there is persistent bleeding, or if eating behavior changes abruptly.

Training Through Teething: Managing Mouthing and Biting

Behavioral management during teething is largely about redirection and consistent responses. When a puppy mouths hands or furniture, calmly withdraw attention and replace the item with an appropriate chew. Praise and reward the puppy when it accepts the toy. I recommend short, consistent interruptions—stop play for a moment if biting is hard—and resume only when the puppy is calm. This pattern helps teach bite inhibition without causing fear.

Rotate a selection of approved toys so novelty keeps interest high; a puppy with access to the same object all day may become bored and start chewing prohibited items. Supervision is essential: confine the puppy to safe areas when you cannot watch, and keep small objects, electrical cords, and toxic household items out of reach. Gentle chewing limits and predictable responses help reduce destructive behavior and protect developing teeth.

Safe Chews, Toys and Tools That Ease Teething

• Chilled rubber toys such as Kong-type toys: the coolness soothes sore gums and the rubber provides give without being brittle.
• Soft nylon or vet-approved puppy teething rings: choose items labeled for puppies; avoid very hard nylons intended for adult chewers.
• Age-appropriate dental chews endorsed by veterinarians: look for products sized for your puppy and approved by recognized dental or veterinary organizations.
• Avoid very hard chews—cooked bones, antlers, or extremely hard rawhide—because puppy teeth and young adult enamel can fracture when chewed on overly hard material.

Expert Voices: Vets, Behaviorists and Trusted Resources

Your primary-care veterinarian and the veterinary technician team are the first line for assessing teething and deciding whether extraction or other intervention is needed. For complex bite problems, infection, or fractured teeth, a veterinary dentist—an AVDC diplomate—has specialized training and procedures that may be helpful.

Breed club health committees and experienced breeders who work with veterinarians can be valuable sources of breed-specific teething expectations. For evidence-based guidance on when to intervene surgically or how to manage retained teeth, peer-reviewed veterinary dentistry literature and authoritative manuals are the best resources; I often consult those when cases deviate from typical timelines.

Troubleshooting Dental Issues: What to Do Next

If you suspect a retained baby tooth, persistent infection, or malocclusion, the usual approach often includes a veterinary examination with oral radiographs to see the root structure and the position of the adult tooth. Extraction of retained deciduous teeth is commonly recommended to allow the adult tooth to seat properly and to prevent periodontal disease. In many clinics this is timed with spay/neuter to limit repeated anesthetic events, but the timing depends on the puppy’s health and the dental findings.

For fractured or discolored adult teeth, treatment may range from monitoring and preventive care to root canal therapy or extraction in severe cases. Pain management and antibiotics may be needed for infected injuries. If a puppy is refusing to eat because of mouth pain, seek prompt veterinary attention; nutritional support and pain control may be necessary while the underlying issue is addressed.

In short, most teething is a normal, temporary stage best handled with appropriate chews, supervision, and early habituation to oral care. When signs are outside the expected range—especially persistent retained teeth, swelling, discharge, or severe pain—timely veterinary assessment helps protect your puppy’s long-term oral health.

References and Further Reading

• Merck Veterinary Manual: “Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Dogs” — sections on tooth eruption and retained deciduous teeth.
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): “Puppy Care and Dental Care for Dogs” guidance for routine dental health and puppy oral acclimation.
• American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC): owner resources on deciduous teeth, retained teeth, and when to consult a veterinary dentist.
• BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Dentistry, British Small Animal Veterinary Association — chapters on dental development and extractions in puppies.
• Journal of Veterinary Dentistry: selected articles on eruption patterns and management of retained deciduous teeth in dogs.