Do Bearded Dragons Have Teeth – How Many and Care

Bearded dragons have teeth, i.e., the front or pleurodont teeth that grow and regularly fall as well as their side or acrodont teeth which may wear out and never grow back. Furthermore, these acrodont teeth are fused to their jaw bones and are serrated.

The front teeth help in grasping and tearing their prey or food while their side teeth chew and grind veggies and plant matter.

1. How many teeth do they have?

Unlike human beings, the number of teeth they have varies. Beardies have four front teeth (pleurodont teeth) on their upper and lower jaws as well as 10-17 side teeth (acrodont teeth) on either side of their upper jaw while the lower jaw has 13-20 on either side.

2. Bearded dragon dental problems

Besides wear and loss of their side teeth that don’t grow back common dental problem problems they may have include:

• Periodontal disease:– Depending on the stage may result in teeth discoloration due to mild to severe yellow tartar buildup, gum redness, gingival recession, osteomyelitis, jaw part death, or break off if it remains untreated for a long time.
• Gingivitis: Besides periodontal disease, there may be gingivitis where gums will be inflamed, gum recession, dental abscesses, trauma, among others.

3. Brushing and dental care

You should brush their teeth using a cotton bud dipped in oral chlorhexidine solution or water. Do this once in a week or month.

Also, to avoid bone inflammation or infection, your herp vet should sedate and scrap any accumulated tartar and plague at least once a year during the routine health check. However, before anesthesia use, a health check is necessary.

Always ensure they have crunchy veggies and insects (avoid soft foods including soft insects and cooked foods) and give them less sugary fruits,

Also, provide proper UV lighting and terrarium temperature, calcium, vitamin D3, and multivitamin supplementation to promote healthy and strong teeth or bones.

Finally, avoid falls, banging their heads, minimize stress (causes glass surfing and headbanging), prevent fights, and ensure their immunity is strong.