A kitten has all 26 milk teeth by 6 weeks and all 30 adult teeth by 7 months, and the swap between the two runs from about 3 to 6 months. Two things go wrong often enough to plan for: a milk tooth that stays put while the adult tooth comes in beside it, and a bite that closes the wrong way. Both are visible at home, both are cheaper to fix before 6 months, and both are caught by 3 checks you can do in 2 minutes.
26 teeth, then 30: the count
The milk set is 26: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars, and no molars at all. The adult set is 30: the same 12 and 4, 10 premolars, plus 4 molars at the back. That gap of 4 teeth explains why the back of the mouth looks empty at 8 weeks and crowded at 6 months.
Counting is the fastest screening test you have. Open the mouth gently at 6 weeks and count 26; do it again at 7 months and count 30. If you get 24 at 6 weeks, wait 10 to 14 days and count again, because eruption order varies by 1 to 2 weeks between kittens. If you still count 24 at 8 weeks, that is a call to the clinic.
The 3 to 6 week eruption order
Incisors arrive first, at 3 to 4 weeks, and the kitten is usually still nursing when they break through. Canines follow at 3 to 4 weeks, which is when a mother cat starts to notice sharper feeding. Premolars come last, at 4 to 6 weeks, and by 6 weeks the mouth is complete.
| Tooth type | Milk teeth erupt | Count | Permanent teeth erupt | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incisors | 3–4 weeks | 12 | 3–4 months | 12 |
| Canines | 3–4 weeks | 4 | 4–5 months | 4 |
| Premolars | 4–6 weeks | 10 | 4–6 months | 10 |
| Molars | none | 0 | 4–5 months | 4 |
| Total | by 6 weeks | 26 | by 7 months | 30 |
The order matters more than the exact date. Incisors before canines before premolars, left and right within 1 to 2 weeks of each other. A canine that is 3 weeks ahead of its pair, or a mouth with premolars but no incisors, is the pattern worth photographing and sending to your vet.
The 3 checks, 1 per stage
- Check 1, at 6 weeks: count 26 and compare left to right. Symmetry within 1 to 2 weeks is normal; a 3 week gap is not.
- Check 2, at 4 to 5 months: feel for double canines. Two teeth in 1 socket, or a milk canine still in place 2 weeks after the adult one appears, is retention.
- Check 3, at 6 to 7 months: close the mouth and look at the bite. Upper incisors should sit just in front of the lower ones, with no gap wider than 2 mm.
Each check takes under 2 minutes and needs no equipment beyond a phone light and a photo. Three photos per check, front, left, right, make a record you can compare 2 weeks later, which is far more useful than trying to remember what the mouth looked like.
Class 1: the milk tooth that stays
Retained milk teeth are the most common dental problem in kittens under 7 months, and the canines are the usual site. The adult canine pushes through beside the milk one instead of replacing it, so the kitten ends up with 2 canines on 1 side and a 1 to 2 mm food trap between them.
The usual fix is extraction under anesthetic, booked once the adult tooth has fully erupted, typically between 5 and 7 months. Waiting past 7 months lets the extra tooth push the adult one out of line, and straightening that later costs 3 to 5 times more than the extraction. Estimates for the extraction alone run 150 to 400 depending on region, and it is often combined with the spay or neuter to avoid a second anesthetic.
Class 2: the bite that closes wrong
Malocclusion shows up as an overbite of more than 3 mm, an underbite, or lower canines that press into the roof of the mouth and leave 2 red pits behind the upper incisors. The last pattern is painful and needs a check before 6 months, because the canine keeps growing and the pits get deeper.
Some bites are normal for the breed: Persian and British Shorthair kittens often have a short muzzle and a 1 to 2 mm overbite that never causes a problem. Others are trauma, from a fall of 1 m or more or a bite during play, and those come with swelling or a jaw that will not close straight. Any jaw that is asymmetric after a fall is a same-day visit.
Teething behavior from 3 to 6 months
Between 3 and 6 months the kitten chews more, drools a little, and may eat in 2 or 3 short bouts instead of 1 long meal. Gums look slightly red and puffy for 2 to 5 days around each eruption. That is normal teething, and it responds to 2 things: cold, and pressure.
Offer a chilled (not frozen) cloth for 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day, and 1 rubber chew toy at a size the kitten cannot swallow. Skip ice cubes and anything harder than your fingernail, because a milk canine can fracture on hard plastic and a fractured tooth at 4 months usually means extraction. Soft food for 2 to 3 days during a bad patch is fine; refusing food for 24 hours is not.
What not to do
Do not pull a loose milk tooth. The root can break and leave a fragment that abscesses, and the adult tooth underneath can be damaged on the way out. Do not use human toothpaste, which contains fluoride and detergent at levels a kitten should not swallow. Do not assume a wobbly tooth means the kitten is fine: a tooth loose at 3 months is normal, a tooth loose at 6 months with a double canine is not.
Two habits reduce the whole problem: start brushing at 8 to 10 weeks with a finger brush and cat toothpaste, 3 times a week, and get the kitten used to the mouth being opened for 5 seconds, which makes every later check, including the 4 to 5 month double canine check, a 30 second job instead of a fight.
When to book, in dates
Four dates carry most of the value: 6 to 8 weeks for the first count and the first vaccine visit, 4 to 5 months for the double canine check, 5 to 7 months for any extraction plus the spay or neuter, and 7 months for the final 30 tooth count and bite check. Our kitten vaccine timeline lines the first 2 up with shots you already have booked, and the teeth eruption chart gives a week by week view for the first 6 weeks. Breeds with short muzzles and crowded mouths need the 4 to 5 month check more than most; the breed quiz lists them.
Terms mentioned in this article
Frequently asked
How many teeth should a kitten have at 6 weeks and at 7 months?
26 at 6 weeks and 30 at 7 months. The milk set has 12 incisors, 4 canines and 10 premolars with no molars, and the adult set adds 4 molars at the back. If you count 24 at 8 weeks, or 28 at 7 months, book a check rather than waiting, because both numbers usually mean a retained tooth or a late eruption.
Is it normal for a kitten to have 2 canine teeth on one side?
It is common, not normal. A milk canine that stays while the adult tooth erupts beside it creates a 1 to 2 mm food trap and pushes the adult tooth out of line. Extraction is usually booked once the adult tooth has fully erupted, between 5 and 7 months, often with the spay or neuter so the kitten has only 1 anesthetic.
When does teething pain need a vet visit?
Three findings: refusing food for 24 hours, a jaw that is asymmetric after a fall, or lower canines leaving red pits in the roof of the mouth. Mild redness and chewing for 2 to 5 days around each eruption is normal and responds to a chilled cloth 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day, plus 1 rubber chew toy.