As such, they have tiny mouths. How many teeth can they possibly have?
Well, quite a lot, if those teeth are also tiny.
And they are tiny, so Yorkies do have far more teeth than you probably expect.
How many teeth does a Yorkie have in total, then?
Keep reading to find out. We’ll cover everything you need to know about Yorkie teeth, including how to properly care for them, in order to help prevent some of the dental issues that are common in the Yorkshire terrier breed.
Contents
How Many Teeth Does A Yorkie Have?
Yorkies have quite a few more teeth than humans. As puppies, they have 28 deciduous teeth, better known as baby teeth. When they grow into adult dogs, these 28 teeth turn into 42.
Let’s take a closer look at those Yorkie teeth. We’ll also teach you some things you need to know to ensure your pup’s teeth stay in optimal condition. This is important, because Yorkies are known for having bad teeth in comparison to other breeds.
Yorkie Teeth
Yorkies start losing their baby teeth at four to five months of age and should have their adult teeth at around eight to ten months. This period is when you may notice them starting to bite at things more, or constantly needing to chew on something.
Teething can be an annoying and painful process for any puppy. It’s important that you give your Yorkie lots of chew toys and foods that they can really get their teeth into.
Once your Yorkie has grown into its teeth, you’ll notice that it will either have a scissor bite set or a level bite set. A scissor bite is when the incisor teeth on the top jaw overlap with the teeth on the bottom jaw. A level bite set is when the teeth meet without any overlap.
Abnormalities
You may notice that your Yorkie doesn’t have a scissor bite set or a level bite set. In this case, there may be an abnormality in its teeth.
Common abnormalities are the undershot jaw and the level jaw. If a puppy is born with one of these abnormal bite sets, the chances of them growing normal as an adult are very rare.
The undershot jaw is where the lower jaw is longer than the top jaw. You can tell if your Yorkie has an undershot jaw, because its lower incisors will be in front of its top incisors. You can even spot an undershot jaw without opening your Yorkie’s mouth, since the lower lip will be more prominent than the top lip.
An overshot jaw is when the top jaw is longer than the lower jaw. Similar to the undershot jaw, you can notice this because the top incisors will be in front of the bottom incisors.
Keeping Up Good Dental Hygiene
To avoid any dental issues, you’ll want to make sure you keep up good dental hygiene with your Yorkie. The best things you can do to keep your Yorkie’s teeth clean are to brush them, give your pup dental chews, and use a dental spray or dental wipes.
Yorkies are well known for being prone to dental issues, so it’s always a good idea to try and prevent any conditions before they happen, rather than treating them after they occur.
It may also be a good idea to take your Yorkie for regular dental check-ups every six to eight months, just to make sure everything is okay.
The Brushing Technique
You’re going to want to get your brushing technique right, to make sure your Yorkie’s teeth stay as fresh and clean as possible.
The first step in brushing your Yorkie’s teeth is to make your dog is sitting comfortably. I would suggest placing it in your lap, so that you can easily get to its teeth.
You can then lift your dog’s lips, so that you can get to the teeth. Brush in circular motions, making sure you also get the gums and cheeks, to clean away any bacteria that may be lurking.
If your Yorkie becomes agitated and isn’t comfortable with you brushing its teeth, you can stop. Keep trying every day and your Yorkie should soon become used to the toothbrush. Here is a step-by-step guide to cleaning Yorkshire terrier teeth.
While you are still trying to get your Yorkie comfortable with a toothbrush, you can use other dental hygiene tools, or sprays or wipes. Most dogs have a much easier time accepting these.
How Many Teeth Do Yorkies Have: Final Thoughts
Now you know that a full grown Yorkie has 42 teeth, while a puppy has 28. However, sometimes Yorkies suffer from double teeth syndrome, in which the Yorkie baby teeth are not falling out and the dog ends up with two teeth in every slot. So they can have even more than 42!
Of course, this is not healthy and something you will need to get fixed. A Yorkie’s teeth need to fall out as a puppy. And that is not the only potential dental issue that Yorkies have to contend with. There are a number of others.
For example, a Yorkie that has lost its lower front teeth has nothing to hold in its tongue. Yorkie tongues stick out a lot as it is, but without those teeth, you will see that dangling tongue constantly.
The good news is that a little prevention can go a long way toward preventing many dental issues like this. As long as you maintain proper dental hygiene, your Yorkies teeth should stay healthy for a long time.
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