The canines are designed to grasp and tear with great pressure. Premolar teeth have sharp edges used for shearing. In the dog, there are four premolar teeth on either side of the upper and lower jaws. Dogs have four molars in the upper jaw and six in the lower. Molars have a flat surface used for grinding.
Cats have one upper and lower molar on each side.
The primary or deciduous incisors erupt at one to three weeks of age while the primary canines erupt at three to four weeks. The remaining temporary premolars and molars should emerge by ten weeks. The first premolar and all the molars erupt only as adult teeth. Adult incisors appear first followed by canines, premolars, and molars. The complete adult dentition should be present in most breeds by eight months of age.