Let’s dive into the world of teeth and discover the amazing types like fangs, tusks, and chompers! Did you know your teeth are special because you’re a mammal? While many animals have teeth, mammal teeth come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Mammals have three kinds of teeth. Grab a mirror and see if you can spot them in your mouth. First, look at the flat teeth in the front. These are called incisors. If you haven’t lost any recently, you should have four on top and four on the bottom.
Next to your incisors are sharp, pointy teeth called canine teeth. You have four of them unless the Tooth Fairy has visited you recently. Now, open wide! Way in the back are your molars. Depending on your age, you might have anywhere from 0 to 20 molars. If you’re over 3 years old, you’ll probably have at least eight.
Other mammals also have incisors, canines, and molars. You can learn a lot about what a mammal eats by looking at which type of teeth are the biggest in its mouth.
Imagine if your incisors were longer than your other teeth. What kind of animal would you be? If they were long enough to stick out of your mouth even when it was closed, you might be a beaver, squirrel, or rabbit. These animals are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. Their long incisors are perfect for biting into hard nuts and scraping bark from trees.
If you had really long canine teeth, you might be a seal, cat, dog, or bear. Animals with big canine teeth often eat meat. These teeth help them catch and eat other animals.
If you had really tall molars, you might be a horse, cow, or giraffe. Tall molars are great for grinding up grass and other leafy plants.
Some mammals have teeth so unique that they aren’t even used for chewing food. What if two of your top incisors were so long they grew out of your mouth and pointed to the sky? You would be an elephant! These giant incisors are called tusks.
If your top canine teeth grew almost all the way down to your feet, you would be a walrus! Walruses use their massive teeth to poke holes in the ice to find their favorite foods, like oysters and clams.
If your top and bottom canine teeth curled up out of your mouth, giving you two pairs of tusks, you would be a warthog! Warthogs use their sharp lower tusks for digging, fighting, and defending themselves.
If you had one canine tooth so long it grew through your upper lip and kept growing until it was longer than your entire body, you would be a male narwhal! The purpose of this tusk is a mystery, but it might help narwhals learn about their surroundings.
What if you never grew any teeth at all? You would be an anteater or a pangolin! These animals eat bugs, mostly ants and termites, and they don’t need teeth because they can slurp up their prey with their sticky tongues.
What about animals that aren’t mammals? Some fish, amphibians, and reptiles have teeth, but their teeth aren’t as varied. They are generally all around the same shape and height.
What do you think you would look like if you had teeth like a reptile, fish, or amphibian? It might not be very pretty, and your lunch options would likely be very different. But don’t worry, that’s not going to happen! Relax and enjoy your sandwich.
You have mammal teeth, so you can crunch on your carrots and celery sticks too.
If you love learning, why not explore more fun stories? Ask your grown-up to help you find a Kids Safe Library full of storybooks that come to life. Thanks for reading! For more stories, try the Vooks app for free today.
Tooth Detective: Become a tooth detective by observing the teeth of different animals. With the help of a grown-up, find pictures of animals like beavers, lions, and cows. Look closely at their teeth and try to identify which ones are incisors, canines, and molars. Discuss with your grown-up what each type of tooth might help the animal do. Can you guess what the animal eats based on its teeth?
Teeth Art Project: Create a fun art project by drawing or crafting different types of teeth. Use materials like paper, clay, or playdough to make models of incisors, canines, and molars. Arrange them in the shape of a mouth and label each type of tooth. Share your creation with your family and explain what each type of tooth is used for.
Imagine If: Imagine you are an animal with a unique set of teeth. Write a short story or draw a picture about your day as this animal. What do you eat? How do your teeth help you? Share your story or drawing with your classmates or family and discuss how different teeth are suited to different diets.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
[Music][Applause]
Let’s explore the different types of teeth: fangs, tusks, and chompers! Did you know your teeth are unique? That’s because you’re a mammal. While many animals have teeth, mammal teeth come in various shapes and sizes.
Mammals have three kinds of teeth. Take a look in a mirror and see if you can find them in your own mouth. Do you see the flat teeth in front? Those are your incisors. If you haven’t lost any recently, you should have four on top and four on the bottom.
Next to your incisors are sharp, pointy teeth called canine teeth. You have four of them, unless the Tooth Fairy visited not too long ago. Now, open wide! Way in the back are your molars. Depending on your age, you may have anywhere from 0 to 20 molars. If you are over 3 years old, you’ll probably have at least eight.
Other mammals also have incisors, canines, and molars. You can tell a lot about what a mammal eats by looking at which type of teeth are the largest in its mouth.
Imagine if your incisors were longer than your other teeth. What kind of animal would you be? If they were long enough to stick out of your mouth even when it was closed, you might be a beaver, squirrel, or rabbit. Mammals with really long incisors are herbivores, animals that eat only plants. These teeth are great for biting into hard nuts and scraping bark from trees.
What kind of mammal would you be if you had really long canine teeth? You might be a seal, cat, dog, or bear. Animals with big canine teeth have meat in their diet. Canine teeth are tools for killing and eating other animals.
What kind of mammal would you be if you had really tall molars? You might be a horse, cow, or giraffe. Tall molars are good for grinding up grass and other leafy plants.
If a mammal eats mostly plants, chances are it will have either large incisors or large molars. Since not all herbivores eat the same meals, their teeth don’t all look the same.
What kind of mammal would you be if all of your teeth—incisors, canines, and molars—were all around the same height? You would be a human! Since we eat both plants and meat, we need teeth that can do many different jobs.
Some mammals have teeth so unique that they aren’t even used for chewing food. What kind of mammal would you be if two of your top incisors were so long that they grew out of your mouth and pointed to the sky? You would be an elephant! These enormous incisors are called tusks.
What kind of mammal would you be if your top canine teeth grew almost all the way down to your feet? You would be a walrus! Like other animals with big canines, walruses eat meat. They use their massive teeth to poke holes in the ice to find their favorite foods, like oysters and clams.
What kind of mammal would you be if your top and bottom canine teeth curled up out of your mouth, giving you two pairs of tusks? You would be a warthog! Warthogs use their sharp lower tusks for digging, fighting, and defending themselves against predators.
What kind of mammal would you be if you had one canine tooth so long that it grew through your upper lip and kept growing until it was longer than your entire body? You would be a male narwhal! The purpose of this tusk is a mystery, but it may help narwhals gather information about their surroundings.
What kind of mammal would you be if you never grew any teeth at all? You would be an anteater or a pangolin! These animals eat bugs, mostly ants and termites, and they don’t need teeth because they can slurp up their prey with their sticky tongues.
What about animals that aren’t mammals? Some fish, amphibians, and reptiles have teeth, but their teeth aren’t as varied. They are generally all around the same shape and height.
What do you think you would look like if you had teeth like a reptile, fish, or amphibian? It might not be very pretty, and your lunch options would likely be very different. But don’t worry, that’s not going to happen! Relax and enjoy your sandwich.
You have mammal teeth, so you can crunch on your carrots and celery sticks too.
If you don’t have books, what are you waiting for? It’s a Kids Safe Library full of storybooks that come to life. Ask your grown-up and start exploring more fun stories like these!
Thanks for watching! For more stories, try the Vooks app for free today.
[Music]
—
This version removes any inappropriate or unclear content while maintaining the educational essence of the transcript.
