The canine tooth, often called the fang, is a long, pointed structure designed for grasping, tearing, and holding prey. Whether a canine tooth grows back depends entirely on the dog’s age, as puppies and adult dogs have fundamentally different dental physiologies. If the dog is a puppy, the lost tooth is likely deciduous and will be naturally replaced by a permanent adult tooth. If the dog is mature, the adult canine tooth is a permanent structure that will not regenerate once lost or severely damaged.
Deciduous Teeth: The Replacement Timeline
Puppies possess 28 deciduous, or “baby,” teeth, which are replaced by 42 permanent adult teeth during their transition to maturity. The deciduous canine teeth are generally the sharpest teeth in the puppy’s mouth, and they begin to appear around three to five weeks of age. The natural process of shedding these teeth starts when the puppy is approximately three and a half to four months old, usually beginning with the incisors.
The permanent canine teeth typically begin to erupt between four and six months of age. This eruption is triggered by the developing adult tooth pushing against the root of the baby tooth, causing the root to resorb and allowing the crown to fall out. Once the deciduous tooth is shed, the permanent tooth emerges quickly, often taking a few weeks to fully establish itself. By seven months of age, dogs usually have their complete set of adult teeth. A common concern is a retained deciduous tooth, where the baby tooth fails to fall out as the permanent tooth erupts.
Why Permanent Canine Teeth Do Not Regrow
Unlike the temporary deciduous set, a mature, permanent canine tooth is a complex biological structure that the body cannot spontaneously regenerate. The tooth crown is covered in enamel, the hardest substance in the body, which is fully formed and irreplaceable once the tooth erupts. Beneath the enamel lies dentin, which surrounds the central pulp cavity containing the blood vessels and nerves.
In a young dog, the root apex (the opening at the tip of the root) is open, allowing for continued root development and specialized treatments like vital pulp therapy if damage occurs before 18 months of age. Once the dog matures, however, the root apex closes, and the tooth becomes a fully formed, permanent organ. The biological mechanisms required for initiating new tooth growth are no longer present in the adult jawbone. Therefore, any damage resulting in the complete loss or irreparable fracture of a permanent canine tooth requires veterinary intervention.
Immediate Steps Following Adult Tooth Damage
The canine tooth is frequently subjected to damage due to its use in grasping and chewing hard objects, making it one of the most common teeth to fracture. If an adult dog breaks a canine tooth, immediate veterinary consultation is necessary, as a “wait and see” approach can lead to serious complications. A fracture that exposes the dark central pulp cavity is particularly serious because it creates a direct pathway for oral bacteria to enter the tooth’s blood supply and nerve tissue.
This exposure can rapidly lead to infection, abscess formation, and chronic pain, potentially causing systemic health problems as bacteria enter the bloodstream. While waiting for the veterinary appointment, owners should switch the dog to soft food and avoid offering extremely hot or cold water, which can trigger intense pain. Treatment options vary but generally include either a root canal procedure to save the tooth or surgical extraction to remove the source of infection. Ignoring a fractured permanent tooth is not advised, as the resulting discomfort and infection will persist and worsen.