Why Don't Animals Suffer from Tooth Decay?

[Bladibla]

Why do we need to Brush our teeth when animals, who eat anything from raw meat to live vegetables don't get any of their teeth sore or rotten?

 

[DaveC426913]

They certainly do.

What makes you think every wild animal dies by tooth and claw?

 

[dextercioby]

They do.Not cavities,because of the lack of sugar in their food.They do have a similar type of bacterial flora in their mouth as do humans.They don't have white teeth,unless they're really young.

It's tough thing being an animal...

Daniel.

 

[Phobos]

(1) Some animals replace teeth quickly (e.g., sharks with multiple rows of teeth or rodents with ever-growing teeth)
(2) Some animals DO clean their teeth, with help (e.g., birds (plovers) cleaning Nile crocodiles' teeth)
(3) Many animals don't live long enough for tooth decay to be a concern.
(4) Low sugar diets (high suger = high bacterial activity)

 

[Monique]

(1) Some animals replace teeth quickly (e.g., sharks with multiple rows of teeth or rodents with ever-growing teeth)

Do sharks get cavities?

 

[DaveC426913]

(3) Many animals don't live long enough for tooth decay to be a concern.

Actually, this is worth a second look. The things humans are dying of nowadays are things that they never would have dealt with when the average life expectancy was <30 years.

What we are really dying of is old age, it's just that one some given part gives out before the others. Something has to give out first.

 

[Moonbear]

It seems for most animals, gum (periodontal) disease is a bigger concern than cavities (caries). Nonetheless, they can get cavities if there is too much sugar in their diet.

Just one example of a veterinary dentist.

Scheels offers his services to zoos and receives approximately 20 significant cases per year. He also trains other dentists and veterinarians in providing dental care to captive animals, and trains keepers on symptoms to look for that may indicate early dental problems.

Many of the cases on which Scheels consults are life threatening, because polar bears and other animals will hide discomfort. Because animals do not tend to show pain until the situation is critical, it’s important to look for early symptoms. Symptoms of dental problems can include loss of weight, drooling, slight behavior change, and body language (in the case of chronic pain). Open-mouth training is very valuable, and enables keepers to check for soft-tissue problems or discoloration.

Dental problems common in polar bears include:

Trauma (tooth fracture, fractured mandible)
Periodontal disease (most-common reason polar bears lose teeth)
Soft-tissue lesions or growths
Caries (decay)--typically from too much sugar in the diet
Diet is the best way to prevent many of these problems. Scheels also stressed the importance of having no chains or metal bars in enclosures--bears often chew on them and cause dental trauma.

The polar bear’s mandibular canine is the primary tooth to save. Scheels would not consider doing a root canal for a minor tooth. He might consider doing a crown on a young bear to prevent a tooth from splitting.

http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/pbhc/sumvet.htm

 

[Sadmemo]

And that marine animals won't have decayed teeth since the water will keep their teeth strong and better, especially those in the oceans. Their teeth are not the same as humans' also, I think there is no 'nerve' inside. (--i don't know the correct term for human teet's internal "nerve"--)

 

[Evo]

Before processed foods, sugary drinks, etc... humans weren't too proned to cavities. I'm often amazed by how cavity free teeth from ancient humans are. Last night I was watching a new show about King Tut, 19 years old when he died and no cavities. He did have an impacted wisdom tooth though. One of the main problems with teeth in ancient times was wear from the stone particles in their stone ground flour for bread, which was a staple.

 

[Huckleberry]

Would the antibacterial properties of saliva in some animals such as dogs reduce tooth and gum disease? Is sugar the only cause of tooth decay?

 

[Minorail]

No, sugar is not only one but acid exist in ones' mouth can cause it too. Like nitrate, cloride etc in daily food/fruits we eat.

Eating T-bone stek or anything with bones, anything hard, stiff..., poeple be careful or teeth scatched. From small scrathc it becomes big scratch and germs enter to make teeth bad.

After eating meals, one should brush teeth, careful, drink asmall cup of listerine or Ora2 to kill germs sticky with teeth.
In the street, never open your mouth too large if yawning and when talking with someone standing too close, watch out his mouth or germs from his can fly to yours.

Any pet you have at home like puppy, you can or better brush her/teeth often too so that when it kisses your face, your face skin still keep its cleaness. I know people with thick face skin never care about this.

 

[hypatia]

I've been brushing my dogs teeth, she does not seem to mind. My old dog had really bad gums, and lost a lot of teeth in the last few years of its life.

Before the time of antibiotics, it was not uncommon to die from a abscessed tooth.

 

[Phobos]

Do sharks get cavities?

Couldn't resist Googling that one! The answer seems to be 'no' (especially since they loose & replace teeth so quickly), but here's a fun tidbit from a dentist's website for kids...

from http://dentalcarestamford.com/kids.htm#The%20Shark%20Jaw%20Story
There has never been a single cavity found in the ocean! In fact, on land we find only two groups of animals that experience tooth decay: human beings (and their domestic pets), and bears.

Have you figured out why so many people have needless cavities that require fillings? There are two reasons. First is our diet. Bears eat gallons of honey at a time. In over 22 countries, humans consume more than 120 pounds of sugar a year-per person! This causes a lot of decay. Dogs and cats in the wild never get a cavity, but when you feed them human food, they can get cavities. In some countries, like China, most people eat such small quantities of sugar that entire cities are cavity free. In fact, guess which country has the most cavities per person. That's right: the United State of America. So, if you never want another cavity, quit consuming sugar!

The second reason that fish don't get decay is that the ocean is one part per million fluoride solution. Fluoride is the l3th most common element on the planet. Fish and their teeth are constantly soaking in a fluoride solution!