The Mouth: Where Digestion Begins
The Mouth: Where Digestion Begins
When you think about your dog’s digestive system, you probably imagine the stomach or intestines—but digestion actually starts much earlier, right in the mouth. The mouth is the first step in your dog’s digestive journey and plays a key role in preparing food for the rest of the system.
Why the Mouth Matters in Digestion
The mouth does more than just hold food. It has several important components working together:
- Teeth: For tearing, cutting, and grinding food.
- Saliva: Moistens food and begins chemical digestion.
- Tongue: Moves food around, helps taste, and pushes it to the throat.
- Oral lining: Protects tissues and helps with taste sensation.
Dogs tend to chew less than humans, which means the stomach does more work later on. Still, chewing is important not just for digestion but also for dental health.
Your Dog’s Teeth: Built for the Job
Adult dogs have 42 teeth designed mostly for tearing and shearing meat, though they also can grind food:
- 12 incisors for nibbling and grooming.
- 4 canines for gripping and tearing.
- 16 premolars for cutting.
- 10 molars for grinding.
Chewing also acts as natural dental care, scraping plaque off teeth. But it’s no substitute for a good cleaning routine. For tips on how to keep your dog’s teeth healthy at home, check out our post on keeping your dog’s teeth clean naturally.
Saliva’s Role
While dog saliva doesn’t contain as many starch-breaking enzymes as human saliva, it still helps moisten food and has antibacterial properties that help protect the mouth. You can learn more about how saliva supports digestion and oral health in veterinary research like this article on dog dental health.
The Tongue and Taste
Your dog’s tongue helps move food around and push it down the throat. Dogs have fewer taste buds than humans—about 1,700 versus our 9,000—which means they rely more on smell than taste to decide what’s yummy. For more about what influences your dog’s food choices, see our article on why dogs eat what they eat.
Dental Health and Digestion
Dental problems can make chewing painful, causing your dog to swallow bigger chunks, which can upset digestion. Brushing daily is the gold standard for dental care. Learn how to start a brushing routine with our guide to dog-safe toothpaste.
Dental chews and chew toys also help reduce plaque. We reviewed the best options in our guide to safe dental chews. Always supervise when giving chew toys or bones to avoid choking or injury.
Preparing Food for the Next Stage
After chewing, the tongue pushes the food to the back of the throat to swallow. The food then travels down the esophagus to the stomach, where digestion continues. Read the next post in this series: The Esophagus — Your Dog’s Food Highway.
Infographic: The Dog’s Mouth at Work
(Image idea: “The Dog’s Mouth at Work” infographic)
- Diagram of a dog’s mouth with labeled incisors, canines, premolars, and molars.
- Inset showing salivary glands and arrows indicating saliva flow.
- Quick facts:
- Dogs have 42 adult teeth.
- Saliva moistens food and has antibacterial effects.
- Dogs have ~1,700 taste buds (humans have ~9,000).
References
- Harvey, C. E. (2002). Oral health in dogs and cats: a veterinary perspective. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, 19(4), 186-190.
- Chapple, I. L. C., & Matthews, J. B. (2007). The role of salivary molecules in dental plaque formation. Periodontology 2000, 48, 29–54.
- Henschel, M. J., & Morton, J. M. (2019). Canine oral health and its effect on general wellbeing. Australian Veterinary Journal, 97(4), 98–104.
- Animal Wellness Magazine. Dog Dental Health.
1. The Mouth — Where Digestion Begins (You are here)
2. The Esophagus — Your Dog’s Food Highway
3. Stomach — The Powerhouse of Digestion (coming soon)
4. Small Intestine — Where Nutrients Are Absorbed (coming soon)
5. Large Intestine & Colon — The Final Steps (coming soon)
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