Animals and People Both Have Teeth
Animals and humans have many things in common. One of them is that they both have teeth. And those teeth, in both animals and humans, can be all sorts of shapes, forms and sizes and have all sorts of uses.
As children’s dentists in Florida and Maryland, we understand about all these types of teeth. We know, for example, that the giraffe has teeth incredibly similar to our own; in fact, their mouths, like ours, have exactly 32 teeth-though in different proportions.
Kinds of Teeth
Animals and humans both have four kinds of teeth:
- Incisors
- Canines
- Premolars
- Molars
Both humans and animals need all four of these kinds of teeth to eat food.
Incisors
You know those two long tusks that elephants have? Those are also called incisors, and although they look quite different in our mouths, we have them too. Whereas an elephant only has two of these incisors, we have eight: four each on the top and bottom jaw. Whether in an elephant’s mouth or a human’s, however, incisors serve the same purpose: to cut food into pieces when we bite down on it.
Beavers have incisors too. Unlike the incisors in our mouths, however, which stop growing after a certain point, beavers’ incisors just keep growing their whole lives. That’s why beavers are constantly gnawing and chewing on hard things; to file their incisors down to a practical shape and size. The same applies to rabbits and rodents.
In all animals and humans alike, the incisors are the teeth you can see most easily in the mouth. That’s one of the reasons why it’s important to keep them healthy and clean. Another is that their narrow edge is vital for beginning the process of eating. They also happen to play a large role in how you articulate words. Help your child keep their incisors and all their teeth healthy and clean. Schedule a regular pediatric dental cleaning in Florida and Maryland at Main Street Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics.
Canines
Saber-toothed tigers are famous for having teeth up to seven inches long. Those teeth are all actually all canine teeth. On either side of your front teeth (or incisors) are your canine teeth; you, therefore, have two canines on your upper jaw and two on your lower jaw.
Your canines are some of your mouth’s sharpest teeth, and you and saber-toothed tigers alike use them to tear your food apart. This requires them to be solidly secured in place in the jaw, which is why their roots are the longest of all the teeth in your mouth. It’s also one of the most important reasons to protect your child’s teeth and gums from decay.
The best way to do this is to practice good daily dental hygiene and help your child to develop good oral care habits; also essential is scheduling regular appointments with your children’s dentist in Florida and Maryland for routine pediatric dental checkups and cleanings.
Narwhals have a single, long tooth that looks like a tusk (which is why people often call them the unicorns of the sea) but is actually a canine tooth. The hippopotamus has the longest canine teeth of any animal, however, growing as long as three feet.
Premolars
Bicuspids, also known as premolars, are found behind the canines. Marsupials like kangaroos have two to three of them; humans and most other animals have eight, with four on the top and bottom jaw each.
The teeth with the least specialized use in the mouth, premolars aid in the processes of chewing, crushing and even sometimes tearing up food. They are not, however, the primary teeth used in any of these processes; rather they are more like the supporting teeth that help the main teeth involved in each of those processes.
Molars
Elephants can get as many of six different sets of molars throughout their lives; humans, however, tend to have only one set. Like humans, most mammals have 12 molars; that includes carnivores.
Differences Between People’s Teeth and Animals’ Teeth
Taking care of your child’s oral health is every bit as important as taking care of your child’s total health. In fact, your child’s oral health directly affects your child’s total health. That’s why it’s essential to schedule regular dental cleanings and checkups with a children’s dentist in Florida and Maryland. Call Main Street Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics now to set up your child’s next pediatric dental appointment and help keep your whole child, teeth and all, growing strong and healthy.
