How Do Animals Use Their Teeth?

Humans use their teeth to chew up the food they eat. Have you ever wondered how animals use their teeth? Like humans, many animals use their teeth to chew food but animals also use their teeth in other ways.

Did you know that big, long elephant tusks are actually teeth? It’s true, keep reading to find out how elephants and other animals use their teeth!

Elephants

An elephant’s tusks are really their teeth. Elephant tusks are made out of ivory. For years poachers (people who hunt animals illegally) have been killing elephants for their ivory tusks.

Elephants use their tusks to dig in the ground, lift objects, help gather food, and strip bark from trees. Elephants also use their tusks to protect themselves from predators.

Lions

Lions’ teeth are important for survival. They are carnivores. Carnivores are animals that eat meat. Lions have long sharp teeth. They use their teeth to kill their prey. Their teeth are like knives, once they have captured their prey, they use their teeth to chew and eat their food.

Lions also use their teeth for carrying their cubs.

Rabbits

Rabbits are herbivores meaning they are plant eaters. They eat hay, grasses, vegetables, and berries. Rabbits have large, sharp front teeth called incisors and a total of 28 teeth.

A rabbit’s diet causes a lot of wear and tear on their teeth. To deal with this rabbit teeth have a cool feature, they never stop growing! it’s true! The teeth keep growing to keep up with the constant wear and tear from eating.

Beaver

How do beavers use their teeth? They use them to chop down trees.

Beavers have orange teeth because they have iron in them. Beaver’s teeth are strong to cut through entire trees. like rabbits, beaver teeth are always growing.

Sharks

How many teeth does a shark have? The amount of teeth a shark has varies by species. On average sharks have between 50 and 300 teeth.

Shark teeth are extremely sharp and are used for hunting.

Narwhals

Narwhals are also known as unicorns of the sea. Their tooth is one large tusk growing out of their head. Narwhals have no teeth inside of their mouths.

Narwhals use their tusk to break through the ice.

Humans

As children, humans have a set of 20 baby teeth also known as milk teeth. Around the age of 5 children start to lose their milk teeth. Adults have a total of 32 permanent teeth.

There are 5 types of human teeth, incisors, canines, premolars, molars, and third molars also known as wisdom teeth.

Incisors

Humans have 8 incisors located in the front of the mouth. Four upper front teeth and four of the lower front teeth. They are also known as upper incisors and lower incisors.

Canines

Humans have 4 canine teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom, Canine teeth are the sharpest teeth in our mouths. We use our sharp canine teeth to tear and rip into our food making it easier to swallow.

Premolars

We have a total of four premolars also known as bicuspids. We have four in the upper jaw and four in the lower jaw. Are premolars are responsible for chewing up food.

Molars

Molars replace the premolars. We have a total of 12 molars including the third molars. Molars are the most important teeth for chewing food.

Third Molars

Third molars are also known as wisdom teeth. They grow in during our late teens and early twenties.

Often there isn’t enough room in human mouths to provide space for wisdom teeth causing pain and discomfort. Wisdom teeth often need to be removed by a dentist.

Oral Health

Dental health is very important to maintain healthy teeth. Taking care of our own teeth is very important.

It’s important to eat healthy food, brush your teeth twice a day, and visit the dental office to have your teeth checked by a dentist and cleaned by the dental hygienist.

When brushing your teeth it’s important to brush the front teeth, back teeth, and around the inside of your mouth and tongue.

When you lose a tooth, don’t forget to leave it under your pillow for the tooth fairy

Sing and Brush song

Sharks may not have to brush their teeth, but people do!

Sing along to this fun song while pretending to brush your teeth. to the tune of baby shark.

Brush your teeth.

Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo

Brush the top

Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo

Brush the bottom

Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo

Brush your teeth!