Anyone who has a dog or a cat has encountered animal teeth! Dogs often nip when they get excited. Puppies and kittens use their razor-sharp teeth to explore their environment. Sometimes human hands and feet get in their way. Just about every animal uses their pearly whites to catch their food and eat it. Some teeth may not stay pearly, but they all start that way—kind of like humans. Animals deal with dental issues too. Things like loose teeth, bad breath, and bleeding gums affect animal health. While you won’t see animals visiting your dental clinic in Aliso Viejo, CA, you can learn more about their teeth by reading today’s post.
Do Baby Sharks Lose Their Teeth?
Sharks have a mouth full of teeth before they’re born. They need them for protection from their brothers and sisters who wouldn’t mind making a meal out of them while they’re still in the womb. Have you ever found a shark tooth while walking on the beach? Sharks can lose one tooth every week. They have a vending machine type operation for tooth replacement. Their teeth don’t have roots like human teeth. Instead, sharks have rows of teeth, and when the rows move forward, the new teeth push the old teeth out. Sharks never need fillings! Coated with fluoride, they enjoy a natural resistance to cavities.
Beavers Have Orange Teeth
If you’ve ever been up close and personal with a beaver, you may have noticed their orange teeth. Suggesting a visit to an animal dentist won’t help because the orange color comes from the food they eat. Beavers eat a diet rich in iron. The iron helps keep their teeth strong so that they can gnaw on trees. In turn, chewing on wood helps them keep their teeth from growing too long. Unlike humans, beaver teeth grow continuously.
Lions and Tigers and Cats
All cats belong to the feline family, and they’re all carnivores. Lions and tigers have long, sharp canine teeth with a strong bite force. Tigers have more powerful canines, while lions have better-developed incisors and molars. Your house cat depends on sharp canines too, but they also need healthy molars. Cats don’t chew or crush their food. Instead, they cut it up. All felines have the same number of teeth, but they don’t get the same types of dental care or dental procedures. If your cat has an infected tooth, they’ll usually let the vet take a look without much fuss. Big cat vets must put lions and tigers under sedation during dental exams. Cats get extractions, while lions and tigers get root canals.
Not All Dinosaurs Had Teeth
The dinosaurs who had teeth could grow them back whenever they needed a replacement. That said, not all dinosaurs required teeth. Some ate plants, fruit, or bugs and didn’t need banana sized, bone-crushing teeth like the T. rex. We’re not sure what T. rex’s favorite food was, but some scientists think they ate each other. What about the Limusaurus inextricabilis? This dinosaur had baby teeth and lost them in adolescence. After losing their teeth, they grew a toothless beak.
It’s unlikely your general dentist in Aliso Viejo sees animals for dental care, but here at Turner Dental Care, we love caring for human teeth! Contact our dental team today to request an appointment.
