Animal Diaries Archive

Healthy Teeth

27 January 2006

Everyone, young or old, knows how important it is to look after your teeth, brush twice a day and floss. All you young kids out there probably think your parents are nagging you but it is really important; you only get two sets and that's it!

For those of you who have seen a camel's teeth or have been lucky enough to see Teela yawn, you may have heard us say "brush your teeth, kids, or they will end up looking like Teela's teeth". She has got quite brown teeth and it does make the kids go "yuck!", but they are really not as bad as you think. A camel is a browse eater, so they eat leaves and twigs off the trees but they also eat the bark off the branches, and this is how their teeth become so stained. So if you see a camel's teeth, and think he or she is in great need of a brush - well, they are brown, but their teeth are still very healthy and strong. I suppose the branch is sort of like a bone; it may stain them, but it also keeps them healthy!