Let’s Talk About the Animals

The King of the Beasts,
the lion, has thirty teeth, the first of which come in at about three weeks. They include four large pointed teeth called canines and, in lieu of molars, he has four carnassials that function like scissors when he eats. The remainder of his teeth are cone-shaped. Lions don't really chew their food because their jaws cannot move left to right.

In Like a Lamb,
Sheep feed mainly on grass, alfalfa and grains. They have twenty temporary (baby) teeth and thirty-two as adults. Unfortunately the sheep's diet wears down its teeth, which often leads to starvation. England's Ministry of Agriculture is actually in the midst of trials to determine whether false teeth might decrease sheep mortality and increase the birth rate of lambs.

Bird brain, but . . .
None of today’s birds have teeth. They don’t chew their food, instead they swallow small pieces of gravel, which “chew” the food inside their bodies. The last birdlike creature who could bite lived about ninety million years ago.

Bee Helpful
Honey, a product of bees, was used to coat an infected tooth in the Middle Ages. People smeared their aching teeth with honey and waited all night with tweezers in hand, ready to pluck out the toothworm.

Donkey Folklore
In ancient Greece, donkey's milk was used as a mouthwash to strengthen the gums and teeth.

Frog Hopping to the Rescue
Besides spitting in a frog's mouth for toothache relief, these web-footed creatures were applied to a person's cheek or to the head on the side of the ailing tooth.