Ryers Readers - What if you had Animal Teeth!?

Episode Date: August 4, 2023

The animal kingdom has a lot of cool teeth, but your teeth are pretty awesome too!!

Let's do this! Thank you so much for tuning into today's story. Don't forget to rate and follow, so you never miss out on all the Ryer's Reader's fun. And if you're looking for even more fun, come join me on the Ryer's Reader's Patreon page, where you can find ad-free episodes, bonus content, and even become a Ryer's Reader's celebrity. Before we get into the story, do you want to know a fun fact? Did you know that today's story is absolutely filled with fun facts? I have so many facts and interesting things to share with you today.

I think we should just get right into it. Today, we are going to read, What if you had animal teeth by Sandra Markle? So you've lost your front teeth. Before you know it, two new ones will push right into their space. But what if an animal's teeth grew in instead? Beaver A beaver's front teeth are shaped like chisels and are very sharp.

They're perfect for biting off bark and cutting down trees. Beaver fact. A beaver's front teeth have a coating that contains iron. That makes them super strong and orange. If you had beaver teeth, your front teeth would never stop growing, so you could gnaw all the tough stuff you'd like day after day for all of your life. Great White Shark

A Great White Shark's front teeth are like all of its others, two inches long with an edge like a steak knife. They are great for biting through super thick things. Great White Shark Fact Great White Sharks get their new teeth about every 100 days. That keeps their bite super sharp. If you had great white shark teeth,

you'd never have to worry about losing a tooth. There'd always be a new tooth growing behind it, ready to slide right into its place, and there'd never be a gap in your bite. Narwhal. A narwhal's front teeth do something quite strange. The right one stays small, but the left one grows longer and longer and longer to nearly 10 feet.

Once it's that big, it has a new name. Instead of a tooth, it's called a tusk. Narwhal fact. A narwhal's long front tooth grows right through its upper lip. What would you use your tusk for if you were a narwhal? Would you poke around to find fish or fight off your enemies? Would you feel your way through the dark parts of the the ocean? Even scientists wonder what a narwhal does with its tusk. Elephant! An elephant's front

teeth are called tusks too. A male tusks grow between five and seven inches longer each year of its life. The world-record elephant tusk was more than 11 feet long. They're great for digging water holes and pulling up tree roots to munch. Elephant fact. Elephants are are right tusked or left tusked, meaning they use one tusk more than the other. If you had elephant tusks as your front teeth, they would be super strong too. You could easily lift and move your bed

or even the family car, and no one would bully you, not even tigers. Rattlesnake. A rattlesnake's front teeth are called fangs. They're shaped like hooks, and the tips are like needles. They fold up like a pocket knife when the snake closes its mouth and snap forward when it opens wide. Rattlesnake fact.

When folded back, a rattlesnake's fangs slide into fleshy covers. That way, the needle tips don't nick the inside of the snake's mouth. If you had rattlesnake fangs, your front teeth would inject deadly venom. So your teeth would be all you need to fight enemies or to catch food teeth. to eat. Naked mole rat. A naked mole rat's front teeth are shaped like shovels and are in front of its lips. They're perfect for digging the family's tunnels without getting a mouthful of dirt. Naked mole rat fact. Like beavers, a naked mole rat's front teeth never stop growing. Biting hard roots and bulbs wear the teeth down so they don't get too long. If you had naked mole rat front

teeth, you could move each tooth separately, to the left or to the right. They'd work just like chopsticks for picking up food, bite by bite. Vampire bat. A vampire bat's front teeth are triangle-shaped and are sharp as razors. Vampire bat fact. Baby vampire bats have teeth, but for the first four months, they aren't strong enough to fly and hunt, so they nervous. If you had vampire bat front teeth, you wouldn't have to worry about them chipping. Since they lack a hard enamel coat, the edges would wear away easily and always stay sharp. Hippopotamus. A hippopotamus's front teeth are long, strong pegs with very sharp edges.

They're powerful weapons, so opening wide to show them off helps hippos scare away their enemies and males to win a much. to win a mate. Hippopotamus fact. Because a hippos teeth don't yellow over time, in the past, they were made into dentures, so some people used to eat with hippo teeth, including the first U.S. President, George Washington. If you had hippopotamus front teeth, you'd never need to brush. Your upper teeth would grind against your lower ones, keeping them clean, and white. Bangal Tiger. A Bengal tiger's front teeth are a biting six-pack,

four sharp pegs edged by twin pointed cones set between its giant dagger-like canines. Bangal Tiger Fact A mother tiger uses her front teeth to bite very gently as she picks up and moves her cubs. If you had Bangal Tiger tiger front teeth, they'd be strongly anchored in your jaw. You could bite and hold tight while dragging something as heavy as five times your weight. Crocodile. A crocodile's front teeth are all shaped like cones and have sharp tips. They bite well but come out easily, and new ones grow in very slowly.

So a crocodile's front teeth are always changing and are often different sizes. Crocodile fact. Crocodiles can't clean their own teeth. They open their mouths for small birds called plovers to pick leftover food off their teeth. If you had crocodile front teeth, your teeth would stick out when you closed your mouth. You wouldn't need to open wide when you went to a dentist or give a toothy grin. Camel. A camel's front teeth are long, strong, and have very sharp edges. They're just right for nipping off tough, thorny desert plants. Camel fact. Baby camels' front teeth erupt through their gums by the time they're 14 days old. Like you, camels have two sets of teeth. Camels get their adult front teeth when they're about five years old. If you had camel teeth and ate

tough stuff eight hours a day as camels do, by the time you were a grown-up, your front teeth would be no more than stubs. People teeth would be cool for a while, but you don't use your front teeth to cut down trees or scare off enemies. You don't need them to dig tunnels or bite really tough stuff. And you never lift the family car with your teeth, even for fun.

So what kind of front teeth are right for you? Luckily, you don't have to choose. The teeth that replace those you lost will be people teeth. They'll be just what you need, you need to bite apples, carrots, and corn on the cob. Just what you need to help you talk, and best of all, to show off when you smile. Where do teeth come from?

Adult teeth start growing inside your jawbone soon after you're born, even while your baby teeth are getting ready to push through your gums. Any new growing teeth are called tooth buds. The crown or top of the toothed forms first, then the roots grow and push the tooth out. When this happens with an adult tooth, it makes the baby tooth's roots break down. Next, the baby tooth gets loose and falls out.

Then the permanent adult tooth moves into its place. Teeth need care. Besides two front teeth, you'll get 30 more permanent teeth, but you only get one set. and they must last your whole life. So brush at least both morning and night and floss between teeth regularly. Avoid busy drinks and sugary foods. Those help bacteria grow.

Then bacteria attacks teeth and causes tooth decay. Dentists and doctors have found there is a strong connection between having healthy teeth and a healthy body. So taking good care of your teeth can help you grow up feeling like you have something to smile about. Plus, you'll have a beautiful smile that laughs a lifetime. The end.

Don't forget to stick around to see if you can answer today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? Which animal swims in the ocean and has one super long front tooth that grows. through its upper lip. If your answer was, a narwhal, you did it. Great job! You sure were paying attention. I hope you enjoyed that story.

I wonder what we're going to read next. Hi, Aliana. Hi, Ashley. It's me, Logan. We like the Mario podcast.