Young black bears have forty-two teeth, but few adult bears have the full number, as the smaller premolars are lost with age. In the lower jaw, the bear has three incisors, one canine, four premolars, and three molars on each side. The upper jaw is the same, except that there are only two molars on each side.
A bear's incisors allow it to nip at things with precision, allowing the animal to pick berries from a raspberry or blueberry plant without disturbing the leaves or branches.
Its canine teeth are large, long and sharp; and its jaws are powerful. However, black bears don't have the flesh-cutting teeth that are found in a bobcat or coyote. Rather, their ursine molars are low and flat, more suited to crushing than cutting.