Frenchie Teeth

Puppies have 28 temporary (deciduous) teeth that erupt from about 3 to 8 weeks of age (14 in each jaw), and 42 permanent teeth that replace them (20 upper, and 22 lower) beginning at about 4 months and being complete by 6 or 7 months.  The first deciduous teeth to come in are the canines, followed by the incisors and the premolars (there are no deciduous molars).  Each puppy tooth should be lost before its corresponding adult tooth erupts, but sometimes a deciduous tooth is retained.  Retained deciduous teeth can affect the dog's bite, or occlusion, so a veterinarian should be consulted if this occurs.  The sequence in which permanent teeth erupt is from front to back:  incisors, canines, premolars, and lastly molars.   



In the adult Frenchie, each side of the upper jaw normally has 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 premolars, and 2 molars.  Each side of the lower jaw has 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 premolars, and 3 molars.  However it's not unusual for one or more teeth to be absent in Frenchies as in brachycephalic breeds in general.  Each type of tooth has a specific function:
    •  Incisors cut and nibble food
    •  Canine teeth hold and tear food
    •  Premolars cut, hold, and shear food
    •  Molars grind food.

The way that the upper teeth align with the lower teeth is called occlusion; and the surfaces that come in contact are the occlusal surfaces.  In Frenchies, unlike in most other breeds, the correct bite is slightly undershot, which means that the lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw so that the lower teeth protrude slightly in front of the upper teeth.  If the upper and lower jaws meet each other edge to edge, this is called a level bite, and is incorrect in Frenchies.  Also, if the upper jaw is longer than the lower so that the upper teeth protrude further than the lower, this is termed "overshot" and is also incorrect in Frenchies.

Wry mouth (wry jaw) occurs when one side of the jaw grows more than the other so that the jaws are not symmetrical.  A detailed description of this fault follows.  Wry mouth is thought to be inheritable, and difficult to correct in a dog.  It can cause problems in grasping and chewing food.

A Frenchie's teeth are not oriented the same way as a long-nosed dog's teeth because of the short jaws.  This means that its biting and chewing are less efficient because the incisors don't meet and because the premolars, in particular, are less effective in holding and chewing.  This can also cause more of a predisposition to gum disease.  It is important to keep a Frenchie's teeth clean so as to avoid periodontal problems, which can lead to serious health problems, some of which are life-threatening.  Special toothpaste can be used, and a dog who becomes accustomed to having its teeth brushed while a puppy is more likely to tolerate it well as it matures.









Anatomical Terms

Alveolus:  the socket in the jawbone into which the root of the tooth fits.

• Alveolar bone:  the spongy type of bone tissue that directly surrounds the tooth root.
• Alveolar crest: a ridge of bone running between two adjacent teeth, or between the roots of an individual tooth.
• Alveolar mucosa: 

Apex:  the tip of the root of a tooth.
Apical foramen:  little openings in the apex of the root through which nerves and blood vessels pass into the root canal.
Cementum:  the bony layer that covers the surface of the root of a tooth.
Crown:  the part of a tooth that is covered with enamel.
Cusp:  a rounded or pointed eminence on or near the chewing surface of a tooth.
Deciduous (Primary) teeth:  the "baby teeth" that are lost and replaced by permanent teeth.
Dental arch:  a curve that is formed by the crowns of the teeth in their normal position (or by the remaining ridge of the jawbone where missing teeth should be).
Dental quadrant:  half of the dental arch, formed when the dental arch is divided at the midline.
Dentin:  the tooth's main structural component.  Dentine is harder than bone and is covered on its outside by enamel on the crown portion, and by cementum on the root.
Diastema:  a space between two adjacent teeth that are not in direct contact with each other.
Enamel:  shiny, hard outer layer of the crown.
Freeway space:  space between the opposing upper and lower premolar teeth when the mouth is closed.
Gingiva:  the soft tissue of the gum immediately surrounding surrounding a tooth.  It's continuous with the mucous membrane that lines the mouth and with the periodontal ligament that holds the tooth in its socket.

• Free gingiva:  the part of the gingiva that isn't attached to the tooth directly, but that            forms the gingival wall of the gingival sulcus.
• Gingival sulcus:  a little groove ("gum pocket") surrounding the tooth and created            by the free gingiva and the tooth.    

Surfaces of tooth: 

• labial — the surface of the tooth nearest the tongue.
• facial — surface of tooth nearest the face
• occlusal — chewing  surfaces of the teeth in the back of the jaw
• incisal — cutting edge of an incisor tooth.
• proximal — surface of a tooth that is adjacent to a neighboring tooth.

Neck of tooth:   the juction of the root and the crown.
Periodontal ligament:  a fibrous network that attaches the tooth to the bone.
Periodontium:  the structures that surround and support the tooth (periodontal ligament,     cementum, gingiva, alveolar bone)
Pulp:  soft tissue center of tooth, containing blood and lymph vessels, nerves, and         
connective tissue.  In the crown, the pulp is located     in the pulp chamber; in the root it is located in the root canal.
Sublingual - The structures  and surfaces under the  tongue.

Types of Teeth

Incisor:  small tooth in front of jaw, having a single root.
Canine :  large tooth with single root, functions in tearing and grasping.
Premolars:  the teeth located behind the canines, in front of the molars, and having one to
three roots.
Molars:  large teeth with multiple cusps that function in grinding.  The upper molars have
3 roots, while the lower molars have 2 roots.
Carnassial tooth:  a tooth whose function is shearing.  In the dog, the upper 4th premolar
and the lower first molar are carnassial teeth.

Dental Conditions / Diseases

Abrasion:  the wearing away of teeth due to  abnormal contact with structures other than
teeth. 
Attrition:  the wearing away of teeth due to tooth-against-tooth contact during chewing.
Calculus:  a hard, mineralized plaque that forms on the tooth surface.
Caries:  a cavity.
Edentulous:  without teeth.
Fused teeth:  two teeth forming from separate tooth buds that join during development, with united enamel and dentin.
Gingival hyperplasia:  abnormal increase in the amount of normal gingival tissue.
Impacted tooth:  an unerupted or partly erupted tooth that is prevented from erupting further by some other structure.
Periapical (or apical) abscess:  an abscess at the apex of a tooth, involving the pulp and the
surrounding apical tissues.
Periodontal abscess:  abscess involving the periodontal tissues.
Periodontal pocket:  abnormal increase in the depth of the gingival sulcus, with loss of tissues that anchor the tooth in the socket.
Plaque:  thin film of bacteria, saliva, and food particles that forms on tooth surface.
Pulpitis:  inflammation of the pulp.
Pyorrhea:  discharge of pus form the periodontal tissues.
Stomatitis: inflammation of soft tissues of the mouth.