Why do sharks have multiple rows of teeth?

There are over 400 species of sharks. Many of them have teeth in layered rows, numbering between five and 15 in their upper and lower jaws. Did you know the bull shark can have 50 rows of teeth? If a tooth falls off, another one grows in its place in a matter of days. Like this, sharks can lose and grow over 20,000 teeth in their lifetime.

Our complete set of 20 temporary teeth is usually in place by age 2 or 3. By around age 18, we have our complete adult set, totaling 32 teeth.

Most sharks have 5 rows of teeth, and can have as many as 3000 teeth at once! It’s a good thing sharks never run out of teeth, as they lose up to 100 per day.

While we use our teeth to bite, chew and grind food, sharks use their teeth to grab, hold and rip prey. Once a shark has grabbed its prey, the shark swallows its food whole. It may not sound polite, but for sharks, it gets the job done.

It’s no wonder sharks don’t get cavities – the surface of their teeth contains 100% fluoride ! The teeth of humans and other mammals contain hydroxyapatite, which is an inorganic constituent also found in bone. It’s important to note, however, that sharks don’t eat sugar.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *