• Question: Humans brush their teeth to keep them clean, but how do animals keep theirs clean?

    Asked by ejrw to Adam, Catherine, Karen, Leila, Nazim on 12 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by olliep, poisen2.
    • Photo: Nazim Bharmal

      Nazim Bharmal answered on 10 Mar 2012:

      I know that cats clean their teeth from their food (bones in the animals they eat in the wild) and when you just feed them soft, squishy cat food, they get teeth problems (just like us) and would have to brush their teeth (but don’t try doing that with a real cat—they’ll get grumpy!)

    • Photo: Adam Stevens

      Adam Stevens answered on 10 Mar 2012:

      That depends on the animal. Sharks, for example, don’t bother and just grow new ones all the time! Most animals don’t really clean their teeth in the same way we do, because they don’t eat things they’re not supposed to! So things like cows and sheep get all the teeth cleaning they need from the grass they eat.

      That doesn’t mean they don’t get teeth problems, but they just don’t realise or don’t care. Farmers or pet owners might take their animals to the vet/dentist, but wild animals probably just let nature run its course. Some of them probably die from it (yes, you can die if from not brushing your teeth!)

    • Photo: Leila Battison

      Leila Battison answered on 10 Mar 2012:

      Our teeth are designed for eating all sorts of things. The sharp ones at the front (incisors and canines) are good for biting and ripping, and the wide ones at the back (molars) are good for grinding. But modern people eat a lot of soft processed food that is delicious for us, but also for the bacteria who live in our teeth. We don’t need to chew this soft food as much and it stays stuck in out teeth, making a perfect meal for bacteria in your gums that can then start to dissolve away your teeth, and then your bone. Nasty stuff.

      Wild animals don’t have that problem so much, because they don’t have the luxury of processed food. They have to chew, grind and rip anything they eat, and as well as breaking up the food, it also rubs any little bits away, so there is nothing left for the bacteria to feed on. But animals do still get some tooth problems, they just don’t have a dentist to go to. As Adam says, it can often be fatal…

    • Photo: Catherine Rix

      Catherine Rix answered on 11 Mar 2012:

      Last time I took my cat to the vet, the vet told me I should start cleaning her teeth with a special brush. I tried but it resulted in my cat getting cross and me getting lots of scratches! Like Nazim says in the wild animals clean their teeth from their food, and they don’t eat a lot of sugary foods like us, but for domestic animals, who don’t have a natural diet sometimes we have to get involved, even if it is a bit dangerous!

    • Photo: Karen Masters

      Karen Masters answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      I don’t know. They eat stuff – they eat healthier than us for sure! No sweets for dogs! 😉

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