Chew on this! 5 Fun facts about teeth

The animal world is full of the weird and the wonderful! Most animals, just like us human beings, have evolved teeth that are designed to best chew the food that they eat. Here are some fun facts about animal teeth that you will be amazed to read!

•         Giraffes and all other cud chewing grass eaters like deer don’t have front teeth in their upper jaw. Instead, cud chewing animals have a hard plate at the top of their mouth to help them eat up large amounts of grass and leaves quickly.

•         Horses, like humans have two sets of teeth. You can tell a horse’s age by looking at the pattern in which teeth have erupted! Don’t try counting them yourself though!

•         Remember Bugs Bunny? Rodents, which include rabbits, mice and squirrels, have two pairs of front teeth, which NEVER stop growing. These ever growing teeth are perfect for their food habits, which involve lots of gnawing. This constant gnawing wears the teeth down and keeps them short, and sharp. Talk about nature’s self sharpening system!

•         Shark teeth are shed often, only to be replaced by a new set, several times during a shark’s lifetime. Some species can shed upto 35,000 teeth in a single lifetime. The shape of the teeth depends on what a shark eats. Native Hawaiians used shark teeth as tools, at the ends of sharp instruments like daggers. “Jaws” just got a whole new meaning, didn’t it?

•         Dolphins get only one, permanent set of teeth. Dolphins don’t use their teeth for chewing, but have more interesting uses like acting as an ‘antenna’ for echolocation (that’s locating objects using sound waves that bounce off them). Dolphins also show others who is boss by scratching other dolphins with their teeth. You can tell a dolphin’s age by counting the growth rings on its teeth!

For more fun facts about teeth, and useful information about kids dental care, contact  Green Meadow Dental at 3579 B Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111 (860)-865-0056. Families from Southington find the easy drive to Newington well worthwhile because or our expertise and modern facilities, our friendly dental team and the relaxing disposition of Dr. Mukund.
We also service patients from surrounding areas including East Berlin, Southington and Farmington.