Bite-sized fun facts about turtle teeth

June 16th is dedicated to raising awareness of sea turtles around the world. So if you’re interested in learning more about these unusual, shy creatures, then read on to learn everything you need to know about turtle teeth.

Here are some interesting turtle facts you can share with the kids while you’re brushing your teeth together. There’s so much to learn about turtles, you may even spend more than our recommended two minutes brushing!

• Answers to 10 FAQs about children’s tooth care.
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When is a turtle a turtle?

They really are strange. Even the term ‘turtle’ is a confusing one. The generic term for these scaly, shelled, egg-laying reptiles is either “testudines” or “chelonia”. Neither are words in common use!

While some people call all of these reptiles ‘turtles’, it’s not so simple. It’s probably best to stick to ‘tortoises’ for creatures that live on land, ‘terrapins’ for those who populate fresh water, and ‘turtles’ for the salt-water swimmers.

In fact, it’s really important to know your tortoise from a turtle or a terrapin, because a tortoise can’t swim!

Is there such a thing as turtle teeth?

• There are fossils of turtle teeth! ‘Odontochelys,’ a creature that used to exist about 200 million years ago, translates as ‘toothed turtle.’ Their fossilised remains reveal that this early ancestor of the modern turtle had teeth in both its upper and lower jaw.
• The modern-day loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta Caretta) is carnivorous, and the largest specimens can even weigh as much as 450kg. That’s the size of a dairy cow!
• But unlike cows, turtles don’t have any teeth at all! Like a bird, they have a beak.
• With their strong jaw muscles and hard beaks, carnivorous turtles crush the shells of their prey – crabs, sea urchins and clams, for example.
• Baby turtles have something called an egg-tooth, or caruncle, but it’s not really a tooth. It’s a small bump, made from keratin, the sort of protein our nails are made from. The baby turtle taps and fractures the egg’s shell from inside, and then rips the hole bigger to get out.
• Sea turtles are in great danger from plastic waste, because of the way they swallow food without chewing. When they mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish, it can be fatal.

What can we learn from turtles?

We’re lucky to have teeth!

Teeth help us to bite and chew food, so we’re less likely to choke. Moreover, our sense of taste and smell allow us to enjoy eating experiences that are pleasurable. Teeth also help to make us look attractive.

Have you ever seen a turtle smile?

It’s definitely worth spending some time to look after our teeth, so that they can last us a lifetime!

Caring for children’s teeth

All SpaDental practices are dedicated to preventive care. We strongly encourage parents to bring babies for a dental check before their first birthday. Regular visits to the dentist from an early age can help prevent problems later.

Other animal posts:

• Bite-sized facts about tigers’ teeth
• Fun Facts about pandas’ teeth

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