Kittens cut their first teeth at 3 to 4 weeks and finish the adult set near 6 months, so the whole mouth takes about 22 weeks to build. Two dates deserve a phone reminder: 4 to 5 months, when the adult canines push through and eating hurts, and 5 to 6 months, when a baby tooth that refuses to drop turns into a double row. The rest of the chart is predictable.
The order teeth arrive in
Baby teeth are called deciduous teeth, and they follow the jaw from front to back. Incisors erupt at 3 to 4 weeks, canines at 4 to 6 weeks, and premolars at 6 to 8 weeks, giving 26 teeth by roughly 8 weeks of age. There are no baby molars. The four adult molars appear at 4 to 5 months, straight into a mouth that already holds a full set.
The replacement runs in the same front-to-back order. Incisors loosen at 3.5 to 4 months, canines at 4 to 5 months, premolars at 5 to 6 months. By 6 months most kittens carry 30 adult teeth. Males and big-framed kittens often run 2 to 4 weeks behind, which is normal; canine tips still in place at 7 months are not.
Timeline at a glance
| Age | What happens | Teeth present | What you notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 weeks | Baby incisors erupt | 12 | Mouthing, first interest in lapping |
| 4-6 weeks | Baby canines erupt | 16 | Drooling, chewing bedding, sore gums |
| 6-8 weeks | Baby premolars erupt | 26 | Full set; hard kibble gets easier |
| 3.5-4 months | Incisors replaced | 26 | Front gum bleeding on toys, sneezing |
| 4-5 months | Canines and molars | 30 | Peak pain, wet food preferred |
| 5-6 months | Premolars replaced | 30 | Double teeth, stronger breath |
What each stage looks like at home
At 3 to 4 weeks the kitten mouths everything and starts lapping gruel. At 4 to 6 weeks the canines break the gum line, and a kitten that was clean suddenly drools on its chin and chews the bars of the pen. Soft stools for 2 to 3 days are common and not a reason to stop eating.
The incisor swap around 3.5 months is easy to miss. Look for small blood spots on fabric toys, occasional sneezing, and a kitten that nibbles kibble on one side. The canine swap at 4 to 5 months is the painful one: the adult tooth is roughly twice the width of the baby tooth and travels through the same hole, so many kittens refuse dry food for 3 to 5 days and will take only pate or rehydrated kibble.
The premolar swap at 5 to 6 months brings two things worth checking weekly: any tooth sitting side by side with its replacement, and breath that smells worse than usual. Both point to a retained tooth or a pocket of trapped food.
Retained baby teeth: the two-week rule
If a baby tooth is still firm 2 weeks after the adult tooth has broken through at the same spot, it usually will not fall out on its own. The upper canine is the classic case, and it is more common in flat-faced breeds and in males. Waiting past 2 weeks buys nothing: the adult tooth drifts toward the lip or the palate, and the bite sets wrong.
Extraction is a short procedure, but it needs general anesthesia. The cheapest route is to have it done during the spay or neuter that most clinics schedule at 5 to 6 months, since the kitten is already asleep. Expect roughly USD 15 to 60 per tooth in a general practice, GBP 10 to 40, or AUD 40 to 120. Booking a separate anesthesia event for two retained canines typically runs USD 150 to 400, and pre-anesthetic bloodwork adds 60 to 120.
Chewing, biting, and the first weeks home
Most kittens arrive at 8 weeks, right when the premolars are finishing and the mouth is itchy. Offer a cold, wet washcloth twisted into a rope, a rubber toy kept in the freezer for 20 minutes, or a whole raw carrot under supervision. Never let a kitten chew fingers, even gently: the habit formed at 8 weeks is the bite you live with at 8 months, and it is much harder to undo than to prevent. The redirection rules that work for play biting apply from day one.
Teething also derails routines, and a kitten that starts urinating outside the box at 4 months is usually reacting to stress or a dirty box rather than to teeth. Keep the box scoopable twice a day and the placement unchanged through the whole 22 weeks.
Start brushing when the adult canines arrive
The window for teaching tooth brushing closes fast. Between 5 and 6 months, when the adult set is nearly complete, a kitten will still accept a finger brush for 10 seconds. Start twice a week with a pet enzyme toothpaste, then build to daily by 8 months; human toothpaste contains fluoride and detergents a cat should not swallow. Brushing matters more in this species than in dogs, because cats resorb tooth roots and form tartar along the gum line within 2 to 3 years.
Vaccine visits at 8, 12 and 16 weeks are the natural moments to open the mouth and count teeth. Ask the vet to chart what is present and what is missing, and to flag any tooth that is already doubled. Scheduling those visits around the teething calendar saves a separate trip later.
What treatment costs
- Retained tooth extraction with spay or neuter: USD 15 to 60 per tooth
- Separate anesthesia for extraction: USD 150 to 400
- Dental X-ray of the whole mouth: USD 80 to 200
- Fractured canine repair or extraction: USD 200 to 600
- Finger brush and enzyme paste: USD 12 to 25
When to call the vet
Call the same day for a temperature above 39.5 Celsius, refusal to eat for 24 hours, swelling under the eye or on the muzzle, a broken canine with a pink center visible, bleeding that lasts more than 10 minutes, or a kitten that cries when the mouth is opened. Double teeth are not urgent but should be booked within 2 weeks. A kitten that has not cut any teeth by 5 weeks, or has no adult incisors by 5 months, needs a growth check rather than a wait-and-see.
Five steps that cover the whole chart
- Photograph the mouth at 8 weeks, 4 months and 6 months; the photos make changes obvious.
- Book the 5-month spay or neuter with a note asking for a retained-tooth check under the same anesthesia.
- Freeze two chew toys and rotate them every evening from 4 to 6 months.
- Start 10-second finger brushing at 5 months and reach daily by 8 months.
- Check weekly for a tooth standing beside its replacement, and act at the 2-week mark.
Frequently asked
At what age do kittens lose their baby teeth?
The swap starts at 3.5 to 4 months with the incisors, continues at 4 to 5 months with the canines and molars, and ends at 5 to 6 months with the premolars. Most kittens hold 30 adult teeth by 6 months. Males and large-framed kittens can run 2 to 4 weeks late, but canine tips still present at 7 months need a veterinary check.
How do I know if my kitten has a retained baby tooth?
Open the mouth weekly from 5 months and look for two teeth of the same type standing side by side, one slimmer and one wider. The upper canine is the usual site. If the baby tooth is still firm 2 weeks after the adult tooth broke through the same spot, book an extraction, ideally during the spay or neuter so the kitten needs only one anesthetic.
Do kittens need their teeth brushed?
Yes, and the habit is easiest to install between 5 and 6 months when the adult set arrives. Use a finger brush and pet enzyme toothpaste for 10 seconds, twice a week at first, building to daily by 8 months. Never use human toothpaste. Cats resorb tooth roots and build tartar within 2 to 3 years, so brushing prevents most of the dental work later.