Elephants are well-known for their tusks, trunks, and massive bodies, but their teeth are equally interesting. An elephant’s teeth can tell its age, health, diet, lifespan, and even the chances of its survival in the wild.
Many people who visit the Krabi Elephant Shelter are surprised to learn that elephants have remarkably few teeth and that these teeth change several times throughout their lifetime. By understanding how elephant teeth function, one becomes more aware of the necessity of their proper care and ethical management for these magnificent creatures.
This comprehensive manual describes how many teeth an elephant has, how their molars rotate, why tusks cannot be regenerated, and what the situation is like when elephants lose their last set of teeth.
Do Elephants Have Teeth Or Only Tusks?
It is commonly thought that elephants only have tusks, but the reality is quite different. In fact, the tusks are just the four upper incisors that have been elongated, and they are not the teeth used for chewing. Under the tusks, there is a strong set of molars that elephants depend on every day.
It is with its molars that an elephant chews, not with its tusks. The food of an elephant is composed of tough plant fibers, bark, roots, bamboo, and grasses, which all need to be ground down. Their molars are built specifically for grinding plant materials, and each of them can weigh up to several kilograms.
Even a very healthy elephant would have a hard time eating sufficient vegetation to stay alive if it did not have these grinding teeth. That explains why dental health is such a vital part of the elephant care program at ethical sanctuaries like Krabi Elephant Shelter, where they keep a close watch on rescued elephants for any indication of tooth wear, infections, or pain.
How Many Teeth Does An Elephant Have At One Time?
Elephants have a total of 26 teeth at one time:
- Two upper tusks (if present)
- Twelve premolars and molars (three on each side, upper and lower)
- Twelve baby teeth are lost earlier in life
What really sets elephants apart from the rest of the world is not the number of teeth they have but the way their teeth are replaced.
In general, mammals, such as humans, have only a single replacement of teeth—baby teeth are replaced by adult ones. In an elephant, the molars are replaced six times during its lifespan, which is a very rare occurrence.
How Many Teeth Does An Elephant Have Over Its Lifetime?
An elephant will have the following teeth during its lifetime:
Six Sets Of Molars
These six sets succeed each other, each one replacing the worn-out set that it has replaced.
Up To Six Molars In Each Jaw Quadrant
Gradually, but only one large molar per quadrant is used at a time. This is where the study of an elephant’s dentition becomes absolutely extraordinary.
Rather than the human way, where teeth grow upward from the gum, elephant molars grow sideways from the rear part of the mouth. The worn-out molar drops off, and the new one, which is still covered with enamel, moves forward like a conveyor belt. This guarantees that the elephant always has a strong grinding surface.
When Do Elephants Lose Their Last Molars?
Elephants part with their last set of molars at an age of 60 to 70 years, approximately.
Sadly, after the final set has been ground down, no new molars grow. This, in turn, results in a situation where the elephant cannot grind food correctly. Thus, malnutrition is often the cause of death of these animals in their natural habitat.
Sanctuaries like Krabi Elephant Shelter help older elephants by:
- Providing softened fruits
- Offering chopped vegetation
- Ensuring a gentle, fiber-rich diet
- Monitoring dental pain or discomfort
What About Baby Elephant Teeth?
Elephants (calves) are brought into the world with a set of small milk teeth, which are like human baby teeth conceptually. They also have small tusks called tushes, which begin to grow at around one year of age.
These first teeth are dropped as the calf develops, followed by progressively bigger molars. The reason why young elephants, which feed on softer fruits and vegetables and are nursed for several years, have much smaller and more tender molars is the composition of their diet.
Carers at Krabi Elephant Shelter have to make sure that the diet of calves—and very young rescues—is composed of soft, easy-to-digest meals until their larger molars have developed completely.
Are Tusks Teeth? Do They Grow Back?
Tusks are generally considered to be a kind of molar, but in reality, they are technically incisors, not molars. Furthermore, they are continually growing throughout an elephant’s lifetime.
However, the most significant aspect is: upon a tusk rupture, the regrowth of a new one of similar size is not possible.
In the case that the nerve is still alive, the growth may extend a little, but a severely broken tusk is most likely to remain short. Hence, ethical sanctuaries taking care of the elephants’ tusks never file or trim them unless it is a medical emergency that requires it.
Tusks are instrumental to elephants in digging for water, peeling bark, defending themselves, and gaining control over other animals in the wild. Therefore, the loss of a tusk means an enormous disadvantage.
What Measures Are Taken To Manage Elephant Dentistry At Krabi Elephant Shelter?
Dental care is an essential component of the overall welfare of the elephants. At the Krabi Elephant Shelter, we mainly take care of rescued elephants who are either elderly or have had difficult pasts. As a result, certain patients may have come with dental problems caused by improper diets, excessive use, or lack of veterinary care.
The sanctuary staff accomplishes their dental health goals by:
- Performing routine oral examinations
- Changing the diets of elephants with worn teeth
- Providing nutrient-packed fruits to keep the body strong
- Looking out for the signs of infections and loose molars
- Offering medical intervention if the toothache makes the elephant refuse to eat
Such an extent of care is of utmost importance for elephants that are dependent on their molars every single moment of the day.
Why Elephant Teeth Matter More Than You Think
Elephants have quite amazing teeth, which not only determine how these huge animals eat b
ut also influence their aging, migration, and survival. Having only 26 teeth at a time—and a total of six sets over a lifetime—each molar is absolutely indispensable. The survival rate of a wild elephant goes down after the last set of teeth is worn out; thus, the sanctuary care is very crucial for the elderly elephants.
Elephants that have been rescued at Krabi Elephant Shelter are provided with good nutrition, and their dental condition is regularly checked so that they can live a life full of comfort even in their old age. Upon your visit, you will understand how vital teeth are for their well-being and how the loving care given to them after retirement from working days makes them flourish.
In case you are willing to find out more about these magnificent creatures and help the provision of proper care to the elephants, then a visit to Krabi Elephant Shelter is undoubtedly the right place to start.
Make your reservation for the Krabi Elephant Shelter right away!
When you go to Krabi Elephant Shelter, the money you pay to get in goes directly to taking care of the elephants, including their food, medical care, and keeping their home clean. You can make your trip worthwhile by helping to protect animals in the long term while also having a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Thailand’s most famous giants.
Call us at (+66) 98 671 5336 or email us at [email protected]
You can book directly at krabielephantshelter.com
