Pomeranians pack a lot of personality into a tiny frame — and unfortunately, a lot of dental problems into a very small jaw. Toy breeds are consistently ranked among the most dentally vulnerable dogs, and Pomeranians are near the top of that list. Overcrowded teeth, retained baby teeth, and rapid tartar buildup make dental disease almost inevitable without active prevention.
This guide explains why Pomeranian teeth are structurally prone to problems, the most common issues to watch for, and the daily and professional care routine your Pom actually needs.
Why Pomeranians Are Prone to Dental Disease
The core issue is a mismatch between jaw size and tooth count. Pomeranians have the same number of adult teeth as a German Shepherd — 42 — packed into a jaw a fraction of the size. The result is predictable: teeth crowd together, rotate out of alignment, and press against each other in ways that make cleaning by saliva flow and chewing almost impossible.
Several factors amplify the risk:
- Small jaw, full tooth count: Crowded teeth trap food and plaque at every contact point.
- Reduced self-cleaning: Large dogs naturally abrade plaque through chewing harder items. Pomeranians rarely chew with the force needed to clean back molars.
- Shallow root anchoring: Toy breeds often have proportionally shorter roots, making teeth more vulnerable to bone loss from periodontal disease.
- Retained deciduous teeth: Pomeranians are among the breeds most likely to hold onto baby teeth after adult teeth have erupted — creating doubled-up teeth and accelerated tartar accumulation.
Studies on toy breed dental health consistently show that dogs like Pomeranians develop significant periodontal disease by age two to three without intervention. Annual professional cleanings and daily brushing are not a luxury for this breed — they’re medically necessary.
Retained Baby Teeth: The Most Common Pomeranian Dental Emergency
In most dogs, baby teeth (deciduous teeth) fall out as adult teeth push through, typically between 3 and 6 months of age. In Pomeranians, this handoff frequently fails. The adult tooth erupts beside — or even behind — the baby tooth, but the baby tooth’s root doesn’t fully dissolve, so it stays.
This condition is called persistent (retained) deciduous teeth, and it causes several problems:
- Double teeth: Two teeth occupying space meant for one creates a tight wedge that traps food and plaque immediately.
- Deflected eruption: The incoming adult tooth is forced into an abnormal position, sometimes pressing against the roof of the mouth (palate) or adjacent teeth.
- Accelerated periodontal disease: The abnormal contact between a retained baby tooth and the adjacent adult tooth creates a pocket where bacteria colonize rapidly.
- Pain: A crowded, misaligned bite can make eating and chewing uncomfortable.
The most commonly retained teeth in Pomeranians are the upper canines (the fang teeth), followed by the lower canines and upper incisors.
What to do: If your Pomeranian is 6 months old and you can see two teeth occupying one space — usually visible as two canine teeth side by side — contact your vet. Retained baby teeth should be extracted as soon as possible, ideally at the same time your puppy is spayed or neutered under anesthesia. The longer they stay, the more damage they cause to the permanent tooth’s position and the surrounding bone.
Never try to wiggle out a retained baby tooth at home. The roots are long and curved — what looks like a small tooth above the gumline has a surprisingly deep root below it. Attempted home extraction risks root fracture, which can cause infection and abscess.
Overcrowding and Malocclusion in Pomeranians
Even when baby teeth exit normally, Pomeranian adult teeth are often overcrowded. Teeth rotate slightly, tilt inward, or overlap at the edges. A normal scissors bite — where upper incisors sit just in front of lower incisors — is common, but malocclusion (misaligned bite) is also frequently seen.
Overcrowding itself doesn’t always require treatment, but it changes how you approach dental care:
- Standard brushing strokes need to get into the tight contact points between rotated teeth — work from multiple angles, not just the outer surface.
- Dental chews help, but harder chews can chip or crack teeth in small dogs — choose appropriately sized, softer VOHC-approved chews.
- Your vet’s dental X-rays during professional cleanings may reveal bone loss at overcrowded sites that isn’t visible above the gumline.
Periodontal Disease in Pomeranians
Dental disease in Pomeranians follows the same progression as in other dogs — plaque hardens to tartar, tartar causes gum inflammation (gingivitis), which advances to periodontal disease with bone loss — but the timeline is compressed. A Pomeranian without dental care can show significant bone loss by age three, compared to five to seven in large breeds.
Advanced periodontal disease in small dogs carries specific risks:
- Pathologic jaw fracture: As bone loss progresses, the jaw weakens. A Pomeranian with severe periodontal disease in the lower jaw can fracture it from something as minor as a fall or a hard chew. This is one of the most serious complications of untreated dental disease in toy breeds.
- Tooth loss: Multiple extractions at once are not uncommon in middle-aged Pomeranians with neglected dental care. Dogs adapt well to missing teeth, but prevention is far better.
- Systemic spread: Oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream through inflamed gums, potentially affecting the heart, kidneys, and liver over time.
Signs of Dental Disease in Pomeranians
Pomeranians are stoic — they often hide pain well. By the time an owner notices something wrong, disease is usually well advanced. Watch for:
- Bad breath that persists and doesn’t improve (not just “morning breath”)
- Yellow or brown crust on teeth, especially near the gumline at the back molars
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Visible retained baby tooth alongside an adult tooth
- Dropping food while eating, chewing only on one side
- Pawing at the mouth or rubbing face on carpet
- Swelling below one eye (sign of a carnassial tooth abscess)
- Reduced interest in chew toys they previously enjoyed
If you see multiple signs together, a vet appointment is urgent. Dental pain is real, constant, and significantly degrades a dog’s quality of life — and because Poms can’t tell you, symptoms are often the only clue.
See also: Signs Your Dog Needs a Professional Teeth Cleaning
Pomeranian Dental Care Routine
Daily Brushing
Brushing is the single most effective thing you can do. The goal is mechanical disruption of plaque before it hardens into tartar — which happens within 24 to 72 hours. That means daily brushing, or as close to it as possible.
For Pomeranians, use:
- A finger brush or a small-headed toothbrush designed for toy breeds
- Dog-safe enzymatic toothpaste — the enzymes in these continue working after you’ve finished brushing. Never use human toothpaste (xylitol is toxic, fluoride can be harmful)
- Focus on the outer surfaces of back teeth (premolars and molars) — that’s where tartar builds fastest
- Also work at the gumline, where bacteria accumulate below the surface
If your Pom resists brushing, start with finger touching, then introduce toothpaste flavor, then a finger brush, then a toothbrush over several weeks. It’s normal for a dog to need 2 to 4 weeks of gradual desensitization before they tolerate brushing calmly. For a step-by-step guide: How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth the Right Way.
Dental Chews
VOHC-approved dental chews are the best brushing supplement available. For Pomeranians, choose toy/small breed sizes and soft-to-medium texture. Overly hard chews (raw bones, antlers, hard nylon chews) can fracture small dog teeth. The “fingernail test” applies: if it doesn’t flex slightly when you press your thumbnail against it, it’s too hard for a Pom.
See our top picks: Best Dental Chews for Dogs.
Water Additives
Tasteless, odorless dental water additives that contain enzymes or chlorhexidine can reduce oral bacteria throughout the day. They won’t replace brushing, but they’re a low-effort daily supplement — especially useful on days when brushing isn’t possible.
Diet Considerations
Dry kibble has a mild mechanical cleaning effect compared to wet food, but neither replaces brushing. If your Pom primarily eats wet or soft food, be especially diligent about brushing, as soft food adheres to teeth more readily.
Professional Dental Cleanings for Pomeranians
Home care significantly slows tartar accumulation, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for professional cleanings. Once tartar mineralizes on the tooth surface, it can only be removed by a vet with ultrasonic scaling tools.
Most Pomeranians need a professional dental cleaning every 6 to 12 months. Some heavily tartar-prone individuals need it every 6 months; others with excellent home care can go annually. Your vet will advise based on your specific dog’s rate of accumulation.
Professional cleanings under anesthesia include:
- Full-mouth dental X-rays to assess roots and bone below the gumline
- Scaling above and below the gumline
- Polishing to smooth tooth surfaces (smooth surfaces accumulate plaque more slowly)
- Probing each tooth pocket to measure attachment loss
- Extraction of any non-viable teeth
Anesthesia-free dental cleanings (offered by some groomers and salons) only address visible tartar above the gumline — the area where disease actually progresses, below the gumline, is left untreated. Veterinary organizations including the AVMA oppose anesthesia-free cleanings as inadequate.
For cost expectations: Dog Teeth Cleaning Cost: What to Expect.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pomeranian Teeth
How many teeth do Pomeranians have?
Adult Pomeranians have 42 permanent teeth — the same as all adult dogs regardless of size. Puppies have 28 deciduous (baby) teeth. The mismatch between this full adult tooth count and their tiny jaw is the primary reason Pomeranians are so prone to overcrowding and dental disease.
When do Pomeranian puppies lose their baby teeth?
Pomeranian puppies typically begin losing baby teeth around 3 to 4 months of age, with most adult teeth fully in by 6 to 7 months. If you still see two teeth in the same socket at 6 months, the baby tooth may be retained — have your vet check it at your next appointment.
Do Pomeranians need their teeth cleaned more often than other dogs?
Yes. Most Pomeranians benefit from professional dental cleanings every 6 to 12 months, compared to once a year for many larger breeds. Their small jaw, crowded teeth, and predisposition to tartar accumulation make them higher-maintenance from a dental standpoint.
Can Pomeranians lose all their teeth?
Without adequate dental care, yes — tooth loss from advanced periodontal disease is a real risk. It typically occurs gradually over years rather than all at once. Dogs can live happily with fewer teeth or even no teeth (they adapt to eating soft food), but prevention is far preferable, both for quality of life and for the systemic health impacts of chronic oral infection.
Is bad breath in Pomeranians normal?
No. Persistent bad breath is a sign of bacterial buildup, dental disease, or occasionally a systemic condition. A healthy dog’s breath should be mild. If your Pomeranian’s breath is noticeably foul on a daily basis, have their teeth checked by a vet — it’s almost certainly dental disease at some stage.
What chews are safe for Pomeranian teeth?
Choose soft-to-medium texture chews in toy/small breed sizes. Look for the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal, which indicates clinical evidence of plaque or tartar reduction. Avoid antlers, raw bones, hard nylon chews, and anything that doesn’t have slight flex — these can fracture small dog teeth. Appropriate options include Virbac CET enzymatic chews (small size), Greenies Petite, and Whimzees small size.
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