Question: Why Do We Lose

Our Baby Teeth?

So our adult teeth can grow in

Humans are born with 2 sets of teeth – baby & adult (permanent)

As a person grows, the adult teeth push the baby teeth out and we lose them

Development of Baby Teeth

•How many baby teeth do

humans have?

•20

•How many adult/permanent

teeth do we have?

•32

Math Question:

If humans have 20 baby teeth and 32 adult teeth, how many more adult teeth do we have?

Answer:

32-20= 12

Humans have 12 more adult teeth than they do baby teeth!!!

What kinds of teeth do we have?

1. Incisors

Front teeth

2. Canines

Pointy teeth

3. Molars

Back teeth

*They are all shaped differently

to help us eat and digest food

How do we take care of our

teeth?

Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste

Floss once daily

Visit the dentist every 6 months

Play safely (wear mouth guard for sports)

Eat healthy foods (fruits and vegetables)

What about animals? Do

their teeth fall out too? Yes, they do!

Some animals like cats and dogs have 2 sets of teeth (like us). The baby teeth fall out and are replaced by the adult teeth.

Other animals, like elephants, have several sets of teeth that fall out and grow back in several times during the life span

Every animal is unique!

Sharks have several rows of teeth and can lose

them every two weeks to replace worn or broken

ones.

Beavers, guinea pigs and rabbits have front teeth

(incisors) that never stop growing.

Alligators have a total of 80 teeth that fall out and

grow back in all the time.

How do animals clean their

teeth???

Pets can have their teeth cleaned at the veterinarian’s

office

Crocodiles wash their teeth in the water and then

sterilize them in the sunlight

By eating their prey and then chewing on the bones,

animals like wolves help keep their teeth clean

Do all animals have the same teeth?

No!

It depends on the animal and what they eat

Plant eaters have more flat teeth called molars to

chew and grind with

Meat eaters have sharper teeth called canines to

catch prey and tear their food with

Do animals have different

types of teeth like us?

Yes - Mammals are heterodonts, which means some

of our teeth are shaped different.

However, fish and reptile teeth are all shaped alike

but vary in sizes

How are animal teeth the

same as human teeth? We both use them for eating and digestion

We both have to keep our teeth clean, just in different ways

Our teeth have different shapes and jobs like animal teeth do (heterodonts)

We both lose our teeth and have more than 1 set

We both use our teeth to show emotions and send messages (happy, angry, scared)

How are animal teeth different

from human teeth?

Fish and reptile teeth all have the same shape

We don’t use our teeth for all the same reasons (catching food)

Animals in the wild use natural resources to keep their teeth clean

Some animals have several or many sets of teeth, while most humans only have two

Discussion Questions

Can you think of other ways that animals might keep their teeth clean?

How else are animal teeth the same as human teeth?

How else are they different?

What happens to teeth when they are not taken care of properly?