Dentistry Free guide

Dental Anatomy, Dental Formulas and Modified Triadan Charting

Dentistry (D3 A, C; K1, K5, K21) 15 min read, 3,325 words Last verified

Dog and cat dental formulas, eruption times, tooth anatomy, surface terms, modified Triadan numbering (including the teeth a cat lacks) and the AVDC abbreviations you write on a dental chart.

Introduction

Every dental procedure ends with a chart, and every chart depends on two skills: knowing the anatomy of the teeth and naming each tooth the same way every time. AAHA guidelines say that in the dental suite the credentialed technician should examine the mouth and dictate the charting to an assistant, so the technician has to name teeth and surfaces quickly and correctly.4

This guide covers the deciduous and permanent dental formulas of the dog and cat, when the teeth erupt, the parts of a tooth and its supporting tissues, the directional terms used on a chart, the modified Triadan numbering system (including the teeth a cat does not have), and the AVDC abbreviations you will write most often.

Key facts

  • Dog: 42 permanent teeth, 2 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3). Puppy: 28 deciduous teeth, 2 x (i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/3).3
  • Cat: 30 permanent teeth, 2 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/2, M 1/1). Kitten: 26 deciduous teeth, 2 x (i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/2).3
  • Triadan quadrants run clockwise as you face the patient: 100 right maxilla, 200 left maxilla, 300 left mandible, 400 right mandible. Deciduous quadrants are 500 to 800 in the same order.1
  • Rule of 4 and 9: the canine is always 04 and the first molar is always 09.1
  • Missing positions are skipped, never renumbered. The cat's first upper premolar is 106 or 206, and its two lower right premolars are 407 and 408.12
  • Enamel covers the crown, cementum covers the root, dentin makes up most of the tooth, and the pulp sits in the center.3
  • Mesial faces toward the first incisor along the arch, distal faces away. Lingual faces the tongue; palatal may be used for the tongue side of maxillary teeth.2
  • The dental chart is part of the medical record and a legal document.13

How the VTNE tests this

  • Name or number a tooth: convert an anatomical name to a Triadan number, or a number back to a name, for a dog, a cat or a young animal. Domain 3 Task A (use anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology as they apply to dentistry); K1 (anatomy).14
  • Count teeth from a formula or spot the wrong formula for a species or age. K1.14
  • Choose the right surface term (mesial, distal, buccal, lingual, palatal) for a finding. K5 (medical terminology).14
  • Read and write chart abbreviations such as M2, F3 or T/FX/CCF during a COHAT (comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment). Domain 3 Task C; K21 (dental procedures, including charting).14

Core concepts

Dentition words you need

Dogs and cats are diphyodont (two generations of teeth), anelodont (the teeth do not grow continuously) and brachydont (short crowns fully covered by enamel, with roots longer than the crowns).3 Horses and ruminants are hypsodont: long crowns that keep erupting.1

Deciduous and permanent are the correct terms for the two generations. "Primary" is acceptable when you talk with clients. The mixed dentition period is the time when both deciduous and permanent teeth are in the mouth.2

There are four tooth classes: incisors, canines, premolars and molars.1 The carnassial teeth of the dog and cat are the maxillary fourth premolar and the mandibular first molar; in a normal bite the upper fourth premolar overlaps the lower first molar on the buccal side.11 The canine teeth of dogs and cats, and the carnassial teeth of dogs, are called strategic teeth, and root canal therapy is more often recommended for them than extraction.12

Parts of a tooth

Each tooth has a crown above the gum line and one or more roots below it.1 The AVDC separates two ways of drawing that line. The anatomical crown is everything coronal to the cementoenamel junction (CEJ), the place where enamel and cementum meet. The clinical crown is everything coronal to the gingival margin.2 A tooth with gingival recession therefore has a longer clinical crown, but its anatomical crown has not changed.

  • Enamel: the hardest and most mineralized tissue in the body. Ameloblasts form it only before the tooth erupts, so lost enamel is not replaced. It is 0.1 to 1 mm thick in dogs and cats.3
  • Dentin: makes up most of the adult tooth and is formed by odontoblasts at the edge of the pulp. Primary dentin forms during development, secondary dentin is laid down after the root is complete (normal aging), and tertiary dentin forms as a repair response.3
  • Pulp: nerves, blood and lymphatic vessels, connective tissue and odontoblasts in the center of the tooth.1 The pulp chamber is the space in the crown, the root canal is the space in the root, and the apical foramen is the opening at the root tip.2 In adult dogs and cats the pulp communicates with the periodontal ligament through the apical delta, a branching set of small openings, and through lateral canals. In young animals the apical opening is still large.23
  • Cementum: mineralized connective tissue, similar to bone, that covers the root. Cementoblasts form it.3

The periodontium is the tooth's supporting apparatus: gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone. The periodontal ligament is anchored in the cementum on one side and the alveolar bone on the other, holding the tooth in its socket (alveolus). The gingival sulcus, the shallow groove between the tooth and the free gingiva, is normally 0 to 3 mm deep in dogs and 0 to 1 mm in cats.3

Longitudinal section of a single-rooted tooth in its socket CROWN ROOT Enamel Dentin Pulp chamber Root canal Cementum Free gingiva Gingival sulcus CEJ Periodontal ligament Alveolar bone Apex and apical delta
Figure 1. A single-rooted tooth in section. Enamel covers the crown and cementum (dashed line) covers the root. Dentin forms the bulk of the tooth around the pulp. The periodontal ligament joins the cementum to the alveolar bone, and the gingival sulcus is the shallow groove between the free gingiva and the tooth.

Roots worth memorizing

In the dog the incisors and canines have one root. In the maxilla, the first premolars have 1 root, the second and third premolars 2, and the fourth premolar and both molars 3. In the mandible, the first premolar has 1 root, the second to fourth premolars and the first and second molars have 2, and the third molar has 1.1 In the cat the maxillary second premolar is small and single-rooted, the maxillary fourth premolar has three roots, the two mandibular premolars have two roots each, and the large mandibular first molar has two.3 Root counts matter on the chart because furcation findings apply only to multirooted teeth.2

Directional terms on a chart

  • Vestibular: the surface facing the lips or cheeks (the vestibule). Buccal and labial are acceptable alternatives.2
  • Lingual: the surface of any maxillary or mandibular tooth that faces the tongue. Palatal can be used for the lingual surface of maxillary teeth only.2
  • Mesial: for the first incisor, the surface next to the midline; for every other tooth, the surface facing toward the first incisor. Distal is the opposite surface.2
  • Rostral and caudal: toward the front of the head and toward the tail. Anterior and posterior are the human dentistry equivalents.2
  • Coronal refers to the crown portion of the tooth, and apical to the apex, the end of the root.2

Formulas and eruption times

A dental formula lists the teeth on one side, upper jaw over lower jaw, and is multiplied by 2. The WSAVA guidelines write permanent teeth in capital letters and deciduous teeth in lower case.3 The first premolar and the molars have no deciduous predecessors; they develop directly from the dental lamina at the back of the arch.5 That is why the puppy formula has no molars and only three premolars per quadrant.

Table 1. Dental formulas and eruption times in the dog and cat
SpeciesDeciduous formulaPermanent formulaEruption
Dog2 x (i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/3) = 282 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3) = 42Deciduous teeth start at 3 to 6 weeks and are usually complete by 12 weeks. Permanent teeth start at about 3 to 5 months and are all present by about 7 months.
Cat2 x (i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/2) = 262 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/2, M 1/1) = 30Deciduous incisors erupt at 2 to 4 weeks and deciduous premolars at 5 to 6 weeks. Permanent teeth start at about 4 to 7 months.

Sources: WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines (formulas); Merck Veterinary Manual pet owner pages on dental development of dogs and cats; Wallis et al. 2023 (dog eruption ages).3678

Published ages vary by source and by breed. In a study of 61 Yorkshire terrier puppies, dogs under 3 kg lost deciduous teeth and gained permanent ones later than heavier dogs, and 69% of the puppies had at least one persistent deciduous tooth.8 A persistent deciduous tooth is one still present when it should have been shed (AVDC abbreviation DT/P).2

Procedure or technique

Numbering a tooth with the modified Triadan system

The modified Triadan system is the tooth numbering system of choice in veterinary dentistry, and both Triadan numbers and full anatomical names are acceptable in the record.2 Each tooth gets three digits. The first digit is the quadrant; the last two give the tooth's position counted from the midline.1

  1. Find the quadrant while facing the patient. Go clockwise: right maxilla 1, left maxilla 2, left mandible 3, right mandible 4. For a deciduous tooth use 5, 6, 7 or 8 in the same order.1 The patient's right side is on your left, which is where most mistakes start.
  2. Count from the midline. The central incisor is 01, then 02 and 03.1
  3. Anchor on 04 and 09. The canine is always 04 and the first molar is always 09.1 Premolars fill the positions between them, 05 to 08, so the fourth premolar is always 08.
  4. Skip positions that the species does not have. Missing teeth are skipped in the sequence, never renumbered.1
  5. Join the digits. Left maxilla (2) plus fourth premolar (08) is 208. The deciduous teeth follow the same rule: a puppy's deciduous upper canines are 504 and 604, and its deciduous second premolars are 506, 606, 706 and 806.8
Table 2. Triadan quadrants and the numbers used in a normal dog and cat
Quadrant (facing the patient)PermanentDeciduousAdult dogAdult cat
Right maxilla (upper right)100500101 to 110101 to 104, 106 to 109
Left maxilla (upper left)200600201 to 210201 to 204, 206 to 209
Left mandible (lower left)300700301 to 311301 to 304, 307 to 309
Right mandible (lower right)400800401 to 411401 to 404, 407 to 409

Sources: Merck Veterinary Manual, Dentition and Dental Nomenclature of Animals; AVDC Nomenclature (tooth numbering).12

Modified Triadan numbers for the adult dog Facing the patient (clockwise) 100 / 500 Right maxilla 200 / 600 Left maxilla 300 / 700 Left mandible 400 / 800 Right mandible Patient's right Patient's left 0102030405060708091011 I1I2I3CP1P2P3P4M1M2M3 100200300400 R maxL maxL manR man 101102103104105106107108109110 201202203204205206207208209210 301302303304305306307308309310311 401402403404405406407408409410411 Shaded columns: 04 canine and 09 first molar. Dashed cell: no tooth (upper jaw has no 11).
Figure 2. Triadan numbers for the 42 permanent teeth of the dog. Read the quadrant from the patient's point of view: 100 is the patient's right maxilla. The upper quadrants end at the second molar (10); the lower quadrants end at the third molar (11). Deciduous teeth use 500 to 800 in the same order.
Modified Triadan numbers for the adult cat, with the skipped positions marked 010203040506070809 I1I2I3CP1P2P3P4M1 100200300400 R maxL maxL manR man 101102103104106107108109 201202203204206207208209 301302303304307308309 401402403404407408409 8 teeth8 teeth7 teeth7 teeth Crossed cells: positions a normal cat does not have. The numbers are skipped. Total 30.
Figure 3. Triadan numbers for the 30 permanent teeth of the cat. The tooth behind the upper canine is the second premolar (106 or 206), the first tooth behind the lower canine is the third premolar (307 or 407), and the only molar in each quadrant is 09.

Charting the mouth: the technician's role

AAHA's 2019 guidelines say a credentialed technician in the dental suite should perform both the conscious and the anesthetized initial oral exam, dictate the charting to an assistant, take the radiographs and perform the cleaning.4 A charting routine used at the Ohio State University teaching hospital works like this:9

  1. Check the facial bones, tongue, sublingual area, buccal folds, retropharyngeal area, tonsils and local lymph nodes before looking at individual teeth.
  2. Note how the patient is lying so you start in the correct quadrant. Using the explorer end of the instrument (a Shepherd's hook), count the teeth from 101 to 110. Circle any missing tooth on the chart.
  3. As you count, check each tooth for mobility and record it as M1, M2 or M3.
  4. Turn the instrument to the periodontal probe end and probe the sulcus around each tooth on the way back from 110 to 101. Call out only the abnormal depths, in millimeters.
  5. Look for crowding (CWD), furcation exposure (F1 to F3), gingival or oral masses (OM, with the surface named, such as distal palatal) and abrasion (AB).
  6. Drag the explorer across any fractured surface. If the tip enters or catches in the pulp cavity, the fracture is complicated. If it moves across the whole surface without catching (the surface may feel rough from tertiary dentin), it is uncomplicated.
  7. Repeat in the 200, 300 and 400 quadrants.

The explorer detects calculus, caries and exposed pulp. The periodontal probe measures pocket depth and the size of lesions; a notched probe has marks at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 mm.10 Abnormal radiographic findings belong on the chart as well.15

Table 3. AVDC abbreviations a technician writes most often
AbbreviationMeaning
DT/PPersistent deciduous tooth: present when it should have exfoliated
T/SNSupernumerary (extra) tooth
AB / ATAbrasion (wear from a non-dental object) / attrition (wear from tooth-to-tooth contact)
T/FX/EFEnamel fracture: loss of crown substance confined to the enamel
T/FX/UCFUncomplicated crown fracture: the pulp is not exposed
T/FX/CCFComplicated crown fracture: the pulp is exposed
T/FX/RFRoot fracture
TR 1 to TR 5Tooth resorption, stages 1 to 5
GRGingival recession
M0 to M3Mobility: M0 physiologic up to 0.2 mm; M1 over 0.2 to 0.5 mm; M2 over 0.5 to 1.0 mm; M3 over 1.0 mm or any axial movement
F1 to F3Furcation: F1 probe less than halfway under the crown; F2 more than halfway but not through; F3 through and through
X / XS / XSSClosed extraction without sectioning / closed extraction with sectioning / open extraction (after flap creation and alveolectomy)
RTRRetained root (or reserve crown) remnant

Source: AVDC Nomenclature (tooth abnormalities, periodontal indices and extraction terms).2

Flowchart

Number this tooth: a yes or no decision path for the modified Triadan system YesYesYesYes NoNoNoNo 1. First digit: the quadrant, facing the patient Permanent: 1 right maxilla, 2 left maxilla, 3 left mandible, 4 right mandible Deciduous: 5, 6, 7, 8 in the same order 2. Is it an incisor? (front teeth, between the canines) 3. Is it the canine? (the long, pointed tooth) 4. Is it a molar? (behind the fourth premolar) 5. Is it a premolar in a cat? Dog premolar: 05, 06, 07, 08 from front to back (P4 is always 08) 01, 02, 03 from the midline 04 (always) 09, 10, 11 first molar = 09 Upper: 06, 07, 08 Lower: 07, 08 skip absent positions 6. Write first digit + two-digit position 2 + 08 = 208, left maxillary fourth premolar 8 + 04 = 804, deciduous right mandibular canine
Figure 4. Number this tooth. Set the quadrant digit first, then work down the questions. Each "Yes" gives the two-digit position, and every branch ends by joining the two parts. In a cat, positions the species lacks are skipped, never filled in by renumbering.

Species differences

  • Dog: 42 permanent teeth, with 10 positions in each upper quadrant and 11 in each lower quadrant.1 The puppy has no deciduous first premolars or molars.5
  • Cat: 30 permanent teeth with one molar per quadrant (09). The tooth just behind the upper canine is the second premolar, and the tooth just behind the lower canine is the third premolar.12 There is no 105, 205, 305, 306, 405 or 406.
  • Horse: equine practice uses the same Triadan system. A horse with full permanent dentition has 11 teeth or potential teeth in each arcade, because the canine (04) and wolf tooth positions are counted even when the tooth is absent; the wolf tooth is the small upper first premolar, for example tooth 205. Clinicians drop the first digit to mean the same position in several arcades, as in "the upper 07s".16 Canine teeth usually appear only in male horses, and wolf teeth are small premolars found mostly in the upper jaw.1
  • Ruminants: the canine tooth of cattle, sheep and goats has commonly been counted as a fourth incisor.1 Their teeth, like the horse's, are hypsodont.1

Calculation

Worked example: total teeth from a formula. Add the numbers on one side, then multiply by 2 for the two sides of the head.

Adult dog, 2 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3):3

Upper teeth per side = 3 + 1 + 4 + 2 = 10 teeth/side
Lower teeth per side = 3 + 1 + 4 + 3 = 11 teeth/side
Total = (10 + 11) teeth/side x 2 sides = 42 teeth

Adult cat, 2 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/2, M 1/1): (8 + 7) teeth/side x 2 sides = 30 teeth.3

Check against the chart: the upper count per side should match the number of filled cells in that quadrant, so a dog has 10 teeth from 101 to 110, and a cat has 8 teeth in the 100 quadrant even though the highest number is 109.

  • The chart is a legal record. A completed dental chart becomes part of the medical record. Canine and feline charts are different and cannot be swapped.13
  • Record everything AAHA lists: signalment, history and exam findings, abnormal probing depths for each affected tooth, missing, malpositioned, supernumerary or fractured teeth, tooth resorption, furcation exposure, masses, radiographic findings, the treatment plan, home care advice and any recommendation the client declined.4
  • Know the scope of practice. AAHA states that nonsurgical dental procedures must be performed by a veterinarian, a credentialed technician or a trained assistant under veterinary supervision, as the state or provincial practice act allows. Because extractions are oral surgery, AAHA says technicians should not perform them.4
  • Do not touch an oral mass with the probe or explorer. If you do, change to another sterile instrument before you continue, so you do not spread tumor cells around the mouth.9
  • Kitten and puppy visits: the FelineVMA guidelines ask the team to explain the change from deciduous to permanent teeth and the expected age for it.15 The same talk suits puppies. Small-breed puppies, such as Yorkshire terriers, need regular checks while the teeth are changing, because persistent deciduous teeth are common in them.8
  • Words for clients: "primary" or "baby" teeth is fine with owners; "deciduous" belongs in the record.26

Common mistakes and exam traps

  • Reading the quadrant from your own side. Quadrant 100 is the patient's right maxilla, which is on your left when you face the patient.1
  • Renumbering a cat. The first upper premolar of a cat is 106 or 206, not 105 or 205, and the lower right premolars are 407 and 408, not 405 and 406.12
  • Giving a puppy molars. Deciduous formulas have no molars, and the dog has no deciduous first premolar, so 505 or 509 should never appear on a puppy chart.5
  • Mixing up lingual and palatal. Lingual works on both jaws; palatal is only for maxillary teeth. A mass on the tongue side of 404 is lingual, not palatal.2
  • Misreading mesial. Mesial is toward the first incisor along the arch, so on a premolar it points forward, not toward the midline of the palate.2
  • Calling every fracture complicated. Complicated means the pulp is exposed (T/FX/CCF). A fracture through enamel and dentin that leaves the pulp covered is uncomplicated (T/FX/UCF).2

Quick review

  1. Dog: 42 permanent, 28 deciduous. Cat: 30 permanent, 26 deciduous.
  2. Dog formula 2 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3); cat formula 2 x (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/2, M 1/1).
  3. Puppy teeth start at 3 to 6 weeks; adult dog teeth are all in by about 7 months.
  4. Kitten deciduous incisors erupt at 2 to 4 weeks; permanent cat teeth start at about 4 to 7 months.
  5. Enamel on the crown, cementum on the root, dentin in between, pulp in the center.
  6. Periodontium: gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone.
  7. Quadrants clockwise facing the patient: 1 right maxilla, 2 left maxilla, 3 left mandible, 4 right mandible; deciduous 5 to 8.
  8. Canine 04, first molar 09, fourth premolar 08.
  9. Cat: no 05 in any quadrant and no 06 in the mandible; one molar (09) per quadrant.
  10. Mesial toward the first incisor, distal away; lingual toward the tongue, palatal for maxillary teeth only.
  11. Complicated fracture means pulp exposure; mobility runs M0 to M3 and furcation F1 to F3.
  12. The dental chart is part of the legal medical record.

Test yourself

5 questions written for this guide. Pick an answer, then check it.

Question 1While charting an anesthetized adult cat, the technician counts the left maxillary teeth from the midline: three incisors, the canine, and then a small single-rooted tooth just behind the canine. Which Triadan number goes on the chart for that small tooth?

Show answer

Answer: B. 206, because the cat has no first premolar

Correct: b. Cats have lost the first premolar, and missing positions are skipped, never renumbered, so the tooth behind the upper canine is the second premolar, 206 on the left. a: 205 would only be right if the cat had a first premolar. c: the 100 quadrant is the right maxilla, not the left. d: the 300 quadrant is the left mandible.

Source Dentition and Dental Nomenclature of Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual

Question 2A kitten's deciduous dental formula is 2 x (i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/2). How many deciduous teeth should the technician expect to count in a normal kitten?

Show answer

Answer: D. 26 deciduous teeth

Correct: d. One side has 3 + 1 + 3 = 7 upper and 3 + 1 + 2 = 6 lower teeth, so 13 teeth per side x 2 sides = 26. a: 30 is the adult cat, which adds one molar per quadrant. b: 28 is the deciduous count of a puppy. c: 24 counts only 12 teeth per side, which drops one tooth from the upper or lower row.

Source World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines, Section 1: Oral anatomy, WSAVA

Question 3During charting, the veterinarian dictates a small gingival mass on tooth 404, on the side that faces the tongue and toward the incisors. Which location should the technician write next to OM?

Show answer

Answer: A. Mesial lingual

Correct: a. On every tooth except the first incisor, mesial is the surface facing toward the first incisor, and lingual is the surface facing the tongue. b: distal faces away from the incisors. c: buccal faces the cheek, not the tongue. d: palatal is used only for maxillary teeth, and 404 is a mandibular canine.

Source AVDC Nomenclature, Surfaces of Teeth and Directions in the Mouth, American Veterinary Dental College

Question 4Tooth 108 of a dog has a broken crown. When the technician drags the explorer across the fracture, the tip catches in an opening and the tissue underneath is pink. Which AVDC abbreviation fits this finding?

Show answer

Answer: C. T/FX/CCF, complicated crown fracture

Correct: c. A complicated crown fracture is a crown fracture that exposes the pulp, and an explorer catching in the pulp cavity is the sign of it. a: uncomplicated means the pulp is not exposed. b: an enamel fracture is confined to the enamel. d: a root fracture involves the root, which you cannot see on the crown.

Source AVDC Nomenclature, Fractures of Teeth, American Veterinary Dental College

Question 5A 10-week-old puppy has a fractured deciduous canine in the right mandible. Which Triadan number should the technician record?

Show answer

Answer: B. 804, the deciduous right mandibular canine

Correct: b. Deciduous quadrants are numbered 500 to 800 in the same clockwise order as 100 to 400, so the deciduous right mandible is 800, and the canine is always 04. a: 404 is the permanent tooth that will replace it. c: 700 is the deciduous left mandible. d: 500 is the deciduous right maxilla.

Source Dentition and Dental Nomenclature of Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual

0 of 5 answered

Practise this topic

Two questions from our VTNE practice bank on this topic.

Question 1The modified Triadan system is the standard way to number teeth in veterinary dentistry. How does it work?

Show answer

Answer: B. Three digits: quadrant first, then tooth position

The modified Triadan system gives every tooth a three-digit number. The hundreds digit is the quadrant: 1 is right maxillary, 2 left maxillary, 3 left mandibular and 4 right mandibular for permanent teeth, and 5 to 8 for the same quadrants in deciduous teeth. The last two digits are the tooth position counted from the midline, so the canine is always 04 and the first molar is always 09. Missing teeth are skipped, so the first tooth behind the cat's upper left canine is 206, its second premolar, because cats have no 205.

A code whose first digit means only upper or lower jaw cannot tell left from right, and the system has no species digits, so a four-digit species code is invented. A single run of numbers from 1 to 42 is also wrong; each Triadan number combines a quadrant digit with a two-digit position, so a dog's upper left quadrant runs from 201 to 210.

Source Dentition and Dental Nomenclature of Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual
AVDC Nomenclature, American Veterinary Dental College

Question 2In the modified Triadan system, what hundreds digit is used for a deciduous tooth in the maxillary left quadrant?

Show answer

Answer: B. 6

Permanent teeth use quadrant numbers 1 through 4, moving clockwise as you face the animal: right maxillary 100, left maxillary 200, left mandibular 300 and right mandibular 400. Deciduous teeth use the same order with 500 through 800, so the deciduous left maxillary quadrant is the 600 series. For example, the deciduous left maxillary canine is 604.

The 500 series is the deciduous right maxillary quadrant. The 200 series is the permanent left maxillary quadrant, which is the correct quadrant but the permanent rather than the deciduous dentition. The 700 series is the deciduous left mandibular quadrant.

Source Dentition and Dental Nomenclature of Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual
AVDC Nomenclature, American Veterinary Dental College

Practise all 22 questions on this topic Free account. Or try the free practice quiz.

Figure credits

References

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  2. American Veterinary Dental College. AVDC Nomenclature. avdc.org (accessed 2026-10-30) avdc.org/avdc-nomenclature/
  3. Niemiec B, Gawor J, Nemec A, et al. World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines. WSAVA. wsava.org (accessed 2026-10-30) wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Dental-Guidleines-for-endorsement_0.pdf
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