Bearded Dragon Teeth: The Essential Anatomy and Biology

Oooo yes, bearded dragons have teeth! In fact, their teeth are quite unique. From chomping on insects to biting into veggies, their teeth are perfectly suited for their omnivorous diet.

What sets bearded dragon teeth apart from many other animals is their diversity. They have two distinct types of teeth, each with its own role. Some teeth are built to last a lifetime, while others regenerate as needed.

This is part 1 of a 4 part series on bearded dragons teeth:

Bearded Dragon Teeth: The Essential Anatomy and Biology ⏪you are here
How to Clean Bearded Dragons Teeth: A Simple Guide
Problems with Bearded Dragons Teeth & How to Fix Them
Mouth Rot in Bearded Dragons: What It Is and What Can I Do For It?

What Type of Teeth do Bearded Dragons Have?

Bearded dragons have two types of teeth. Unlike most animals that only have one kind of teeth, our lizards are equipped with a combination that helps them handle all their favorite foods, from crunchy insects to leafy greens.

Here’s how our bearded dragons teeth work:

Fixed teeth at the back (Acrodont Teeth): Bearded dragons have a unique way of keeping their teeth firmly in place. Their permanent acrodont teeth are fused directly to the top of the jawbone—no sockets needed! This design makes the teeth incredibly sturdy, but there’s a catch: these teeth don’t grow back if they’re lost. Instead, they rely on being tough enough to handle years of crunching and chewing without breaking down (Haridy, 2018).

Acrodont teeth stay with our bearded dragons for the life of those teeth and then that’s it, no replacement. (Salomies, 2022; Cooper et al., 1970)

The majority of our bearded dragons teeth are the permanent, acrodont teeth. Acrodont teeth are more fragile and prone to bacterial infections because bacteria can sneak straight into the jawbone.
Replaceable teeth at the front (Pleurodont Teeth): Pleurodont teeth are attached to the jaw with more flexibility, they can fall out and be replaced throughout our bearded dragon’s life. (Salomies, 2022)

Pleurodont teeth are tucked up in sockets and get replaced regularly (Salomies et al., 2019; Gregory, 2023; Warren, 2020). But bearded dragons only have a few pleurodont teeth and they are at the front of their mouth.

close up image of a bearded dragons teeth showing the position of the permanent (acrodont) and replaceable (pleurodont) teeth — This image of bearded dragons teeth clearly shows the position of the permanent (acrodont) teeth and the position for the replaceable pleurodont teeth at the front of its jaws.

What Do Bearded Dragons’ Teeth Look Like?

Bearded dragon teeth look cone-shaped, and are arranged uniformly along their jawline (LafeberVet, 2018). These teeth aren’t just visually distinctive—they’re built to handle the challenges of an omnivorous diet.

Unlike other reptiles whose teeth attach directly to the top of the jawbone, bearded dragons’ teeth are slightly offset to the side. This arrangement makes their teeth more efficient for grasping and processing their food (Cooper et al., 1970).

Are Bearded Dragon Teeth Sharp?

Yes, bearded dragon teeth are sharp. Share enough to break skin and even nails if they bite! You can check out more information on the bite force of bearded dragons here.

Their pleurodont teeth—located at the front of their jaws—are particularly sharp, making them ideal for gripping and tearing food. This sharpness comes in handy when catching insects or biting into tougher vegetation (Salomies, 2022).

On the other hand, their acrodont teeth, which sit at the back of their jaws, are flatter and less sharp. These teeth are built more for handling softer plant matter or for holding food in place while eating. Together, these two types of teeth allow bearded dragons to tackle a variety of food textures with ease.

image of a wild bearded dragons teeth, its mouth wide open displaying a complete set of well formed teeth — Wild bearded dragon displaying his complete set of well formed and clean teeth. The teeth along the left and right of the jaw bone are permanent acrodont while the front teeth are replaceable pleurodont teeth.

Do Bearded Dragons Teeth Grow Back if they are Lost or Damaged?

Bearded dragons permanent teeth (acrodont teeth) do not grow back (Salomies, 2022).

There is no difference if their teeth have worn down, damaged or missing either.

Bearded dragon teeth will wear down as they get older. Old bearded dragons may have no teeth, either acrodont or pleurodont, through wear (Hocknull, 2002).

Either way, once they are gone that is it.

However, the teeth in the front of our bearded dragons mouth, they are pleurodont teeth and repaceable.

bearded dragons teeth wear down — Bearded dragons teeth wear down as they age. a) a young bearded dragons teeth. b) an adult bearded dragons teeth wearing down. Note that it isn’t easy to differentiate the teeth from the bone as it appears in the diagram.

What Dental Problems Do Silkback Bearded Dragons have to Deal with?

Scaleless or silkback bearded dragons have problems, not the least being their unique dental structure. Silkback bearded dragons can be missing teeth or the upper teeth may be delayed. The lower teeth of Silkback bearded dragons are also a different size and shape.

These challenges are tied to a genetic mutation in a pathway called EDA (ectodysplasin), which affects how their teeth develop (Salomies, 2019).

Problems with Silkback Bearded Dragons Teeth

Silkback bearded dragons face unique dental challenges because of genetic changes linked to how their bodies develop teeth. These changes affect both the number and shape of their teeth, leading to some fascinating and problematic adaptations.

Here’s what happens:

Silkback bearded dragons don’t always get their upper teeth: Many Scaleless bearded dragons either don’t develop some of their upper teeth or their growth is severely delayed, leaving gaps in their bite.
Silkbacks lower teeth grow bigger and change shape: Instead of their usual small, conical shape, the lower front teeth grow wider and take on a pyramid-like structure. They almost start to resemble their back teeth.
Silkbacks back teeth get bigger: While the number of teeth in the back doesn’t change, these teeth grow wider and larger, helping the bearded dragon make up for missing or altered front teeth.

Do Baby Bearded Dragons Have Teeth?

Yes, baby bearded dragons have teeth from the moment they hatch! Our beardies are born ready to tackle their first meals with a surprisingly effective dental setup.

Baby bearded dragons come equipped with seven triangular acrodont teeth (permanent teeth) in each jaw quadrant, which act as sturdy anchors for chewing. Additionally, they have two pleurodont teeth (replaceable teeth) in the front of each jaw quadrant, designed to replace themselves as needed, ensuring their growing jaws can keep up with their dietary needs (Salomies, 2022).

As bearded dragons grow, their jaws expand, and their teeth adapt. This means they don’t just replace old pleurodont teeth—they sometimes add new teeth to fill the gaps in their expanding jawbone. It’s like upgrading your toolbox as you take on bigger projects (Salomies, 2022).
Here’s how it works:

Pleurodont teeth replace existing teeth and get larger as our bearded dragon grows to fill in the larger jaw.
Acrodont teeth are fixed, never replaced, but new teeth might be added at the back of the jaw as the lizard grows to maintain their biting efficiency.

Bearded Dragons Egg Tooth

To break out of their eggs, hatchling bearded dragons need a specialized tooth called the egg tooth. This curved structure works like a built-in can opener, helping them crack through the eggshell and start their lives independently. Once the job is done, the egg tooth is replaced by a regular pleurodont tooth, seamlessly adapting to their needs as they grow (Salomies, 2022).

How Many Teeth Do Bearded Dragons Have?

Bearded dragons have a changing number of teeth as they grow, starting with fewer teeth at birth and gaining more as they age. Here’s the breakdown from Haridy (2018), Salomies et al., (2019) and Salomies (2022).

How Many Teeth Baby Bearded Dragons Have

Baby bearded dragons have 33 teeth on hatching. Yes, it’s an odd number! Here’s how many teeth a baby bearded dragon has by its upper and lower jaws:

Upper Jaw:

14 permanent (acrodont) teeth – 7 on each side
2 replaceable (pleurodont) teeth at the front
1 temporary egg tooth at the center front

Lower Jaw:

14 permanent (acrodont) teeth – 7 on each side
2 replaceable (pleurodont) teeth at the front

What happens to our bearded dragons teeth as our hatchlings grow from tiny little babies to the big adults we love?

Well firstly, in a few days the egg tooth that helped them break out of their egg falls out and it is replaced by a pleurodont tooth. So now our hatchling has 5 total pleurodont teeth. As they grow older, they gain one more pleurodont tooth per jaw quadrant, eventually reaching 11 total pleurodont teeth [Salomies, 2019].

Bearded dragons show what scientists call “indeterminate growth” – meaning they continue growing and adding teeth throughout their life [Salomies, 2022]. Not like us humans at all. Pretty amazing, right? Actually, they have a few ways to fill in that growing jaw:

Firstly, they can replace their front teeth for bigger ones as they grow and they increase how many they have. This starts happening around 1-2 months of age.
Secondly, they keep adding new teeth at the back of their jaws

image of a western bearded dragon with its mouth open showing its teeth — This juvenile bearded dragons teeth are in good condition and not yet showing wear. (Pogona minor – western bearded dragon)

How Many Teeth do Adult Bearded Dragons Have?

So, now their adults, exactly how many teeth do bearded dragons have? Cosgrove (2024) tells us bearded dragons have 80 teeth and that is probably a good generalization. However, scientists have studied adult bearded dragon teeth and find getting an exact count is challenging [Haridy, 2018].

But here is the thing, stating the exact count of how many teeth our bearded dragons have is tricky for several reasons. Unlike humans who have a fixed number of adult teeth, bearded dragons continue growing throughout their lives. As they do so they:

keep adding new teeth as their jaws grow larger;
Have teeth that can be difficult to count due to wear and tear in adults; and
They replace their front teeth multiple times.

Anyhoo, lets address the question from a scientific perspective on how many teeth our bearded dragons have:

Adult bearded dragons teeth on the bottom jaw can have anywhere from 34 to 38 acrodont teeth, but the exact count is difficult to determine. The problem is that the back teeth can be worn down so much that only traces are left of them. The wear patterns are most noticeable along the back two-thirds of the jaw [Haridy, 2018].
They eventually develop 11 pleurodont (replaceable) teeth in total [Salomies, 2022]
As the jaw grows longer and wider with age, it creates more space for adding new teeth at the back

This means your adult bearded dragon’s tooth count may be different from another bearded dragons of the same age – it depends on factors like:

How much their jaw has grown
Their diet and eating habits (which affect tooth wear)
Their individual growth patterns
Their age

Pretty interesting how different this is from us humans with our fixed set of adult teeth, right?

Final Thoughts on Bearded Dragons’ Teeth

Bearded dragon teeth are a window into their incredible adaptability and evolution. From their dual dental system of permanent acrodont teeth and replaceable pleurodont teeth to their ability to grow new teeth as their jaws expand.

In this article we went from baby bearded dragons using their egg tooth to break free from their shells, juveniles adding new teeth to handle their growing appetite, or adults maintaining a balance of functional teeth. And let’s not forget scaleless bearded dragons who take this uniqueness even further showing how breeding can alter their dental structure.

More posts on bearded dragons anatomy and biology here.