Wolf Teeth vs Dog Teeth

Wolves and dogs have an equal number of teeth: younger ones have 28 temporary/milk teeth, and adults have a total of 42 permanent teeth.

Difference Between Wolf Teeth and Dog Teeth

While they have a lot in common, there are some major differences between wolf teeth and dog teeth. ^[1]

Wolves’ molars are bigger and more thoroughly evolved. Wolves’ huge fangs can grow to be over an inch long. Also, some oral issues, such as the growth of supplementary teeth, seem to be more noticeable in dogs than that in wolves. You can read the complete guide to a dog’s dentition in this article. ^[2]

Wolves have a variety of teeth, each of which performs a particular role when hunting or chewing. Their teeth comprise incisors, canines, carnassials, and molars.

Incisors are located toward the front of their mouth. Their primary function is to tear little pieces of flesh apart. Half of their canine tooth root is embedded in their jawbone. They are designed to penetrate and hold their target. The carnassial fangs are present in the rear of the mouth.

The upper carnassial teeth usually tend to hang over the lower carnassials. It permits them to slide through the lower teeth in a similar way to a scissor. They’re razor-sharp, and they can cut flesh from bones. Molars exist to shred and break meat.

Larger gray wolves have a massive set of fangs and exceptionally powerful jaws. The biting strength of a person is roughly 120 pounds per square inch, and that of a big domestic canine is about 320 pounds per square inch. But, a wolf’s biting power is about 400 pounds per square inch! It enables them to access the prey’s marrow by biting through their bone. ^[3]

Dogs have an increased rate of tooth loss when compared to wolf’s teeth. Also, dogs experience a higher percentage of periodontal diseases, fractures, and severe lesions than the wolves living in the same territory. The rate of painful abscesses in the jaws and gums of canines was also higher than that of wild wolves. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Jaw Strength of Wolf vs Dog Teeth

Wolves have the potential of attacking worse than canines due to their huge molars. But, despite the difficulties that occur while regularly and properly measuring biting force, as well as the number of ways scientists attempt to test bite strengths, the data acquired by scientists sometimes contradicts one another.

The California Wolf Center and the Wolf Conservation Center, for instance, claim that a wolf can create 1,500 pounds of force per square inch, which is approximately double the jaw power of a German shepherd. In a 2009 study, head research scientist Jennifer Ellis anesthetized a batch of canines and then used electrical therapy to encourage their jaws to tighten. She discovered that mastiffs are able to produce over 550 pounds per square inch after examining the information. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

The wolves still hunt many creatures in their natural habitat. Their fangs come to use for killing and shredding their target. The household canines are being fed human-prepared food. While today’s diet is more refined, they used to eat human’s leftover food in ancient times. It’s been a long time since they’ve had to search, kill, and tear their prey’s meat.

Note: Wolves’ teeth are thicker and curved than dogs’ teeth. ^[10]

Conclusion

Wolves and dogs are both incredible creatures with strong teeth. Both wolves and dogs have teeth that serve different purposes. But, wolves tend to have a much stronger grip and power to grind and tear apart flesh from the bone. It is true that dogs do not have the same strength as wolves. They also experience more damage and dental issues than wolves. Pet parents should take good care of their canines in maintaining the good oral health of their dogs.