Animals Have Amazing Teeth

We spend a lot of time learning about the teeth in our mouths, but have you ever wondered what kind of teeth the animal world has?  Every animal has different kind of teeth for processing their food, digging their homes, and generally going about their lives. We’re going to spend some time looking at some of the most amazing animals in the animals kingdom and t heir incredible teeth.

Payara

This fish is considered to be a little terrifying by some, in part due to the incredible set of teeth it has.  A voracious carnivore this fish is equipped with two teeth that are nearly six inches long that slip into sheathes built into its head when they aren’t in use.  The extremely long teeth give it a vampire like appearance that gives it its nickname “The Vampire Fish.”

Saltwater Crocodiles

Saltwater crocodiles have one of the most intense bites in the animal kingdom, capable of biting with the strength of 20 humans.  The strength of their bite would crush human teeth if we bit with the same intensity, they have teeth that are strong enough to withstand this pressure.

Hippopotamus

The first two animals we talked about were carnivores (meat eater), but the largest teeth in the world belong to a herbivore (plant eater).  Their canine teeth can grow to be nearly a foot and a half in length, nearly as long as your arm! Their front teeth are only slightly smaller, coming in at just over a foot long.  Quite the impressive set of teeth for someone that just chews plants.

Barbirusa

While the domestic pig may be pink and adorable, their ancestors the wild boars have an impressive set of teeth of their own.  One breed of wild pig, the Babirusa, has tusks that curl and can grow so long they can puncture their brain. With issues like that they really need their own dentists!

Great White Sharks

While they may not have the longest teeth in the animal kingdom, or the strongest bite, they do have the most teeth of any animal in the world.  These teeth have over 3,000 teeth in its mouth arranged in many rows. When one tooth is lost these other teeth move into place to replace it. In their whole lives a Great White can go through over 30,000 teeth, wouldn’t it be nice if our teeth would just regrow when we lost them?

The next time you go to see your dentist you could ask them about what’s incredible about your own teeth!  The wonderful dentists at Smiling Kids Indianapolis work closely with Dr. Swati Singh to take care of the teeth of all the children that come to see them.  If you live in Indianapolis, IN and are looking to learn more about your teeth and make sure you get to keep them for your whole life, make an appointment. They’ll be happy to help you and your children live their lives free from dental health issues.