Children dentistry…fun facts about animal teeth

Children dentistry is part of our specialty and one thing we know about children dentistry is…animal tooth facts are always fun for dental pediatric time! We pulled some of our favorites to share with you this time around. Get ready to learn!

A is for…alligator! Did you know… alligators have between 74 and 80 teeth in their mouth at a time, but as their teeth wear down, new ones constantly replace them.

B is for Blue Whales. Even though they’re the largest mammals in the world, blue whales only eat tiny shrimp called krill, so they don’t need teeth to chew their food. Instead, they have bristle-like filters called baleen that comb through the water.

What\’s next? Giraffe! Giraffes have 32 teeth just like humans, but no upper front teeth. Most of them are positioned in the back of their mouths. They use their lips and 20-foot long tongues to grab leaves and twigs and grind them up with their back teeth.

Hippopotamus. Hippos have the longest canine teeth of any animal. At three-feet long, the incisors of a hippo can bite right through a small boat.

Mosquitoes……. have teeth that help them saw into your skin. Yikes!

Rabbits, squirrels, and rodents have teeth that never stop growing. They have to chew on tough foods like nuts, leaves, and bark to wear down their teeth and keep them from growing too long.

Zebras…are the same! They must constantly gnaw on bark, leaves, and grass to shave down their teeth.

Sources:

https://www.solomondentalgroup.com/blog/2019/04/18/10-fun-facts-about-animal-teeth/

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