Bull in a China Shop: What we learn from elephant teeth

Elephant eating

I recently was traveling with my family had the breathtaking opportunity to observe elephants in the wild. The largest mammal in all the land, stands on average of 12 feet high and weighs up to about 11 tons. Although their size is impressive, they walk without a sound. But these majestic beasts are far from silent. Where there is a herd of elephants, you will hear the total destruction of the surrounding flora. Trees rustling, Branches snapping, leaves being chewed.

Elephants require a large calorie intake to maintain their health. Infact, they have to eat for 22 hours a day!! The trees are pulled down from the top, often breaking as the elephants exert their immense strength. Where a herd has been looks almost like a tornado blew through. Now I understand the phrase "bull in a china shop." These abrasive tree branches are then pulverized by the elephant's teeth. These teeth can be up to 12 inches in size and up to 5 pounds in weight!

Elephants pull branches from the TOP of the trees

This is where it gets INTERESTING.... The teeth's life span dictates the elephant's life span. Let me explain.

Elephants have SIX SETS OF TEETH. When the last set wears out and can no longer mush up tree branches the elephant will die. These teeth are on a conveyer belt like path from deep in the elephant's jaw. Unlike the vertical displacement of teeth that humans have, the front of the teeth wears and allows space in the back for eruption of subsequent sets of teeth.

The first set of teeth is present at birth and falls out at about 2 years old

The next set exfoliates between 4-6 years old

The third set exfoliates between 9-15 years old

The fourth set exfoliates between 18-28 years old

The fifth set in used in the elephant's 30's and 40's

The last set will last until they are completely worn in the elephants 6th decade of life.

When the last set of molars is worn down enough, the elephant cannot process their food, and eventually they become weak and pass on. Tune in " circle of life."

This information helps us extrapolate 2 points.

1. That teeth are VERY important for an animal's overall health

   AND

2. That when teeth are WORN they cannot function properly because they no longer hold the FORM to do so.

Many of my patients have heard me talk about "form and function" of teeth. That teeth must "look normal" to "function normal." The story of the elephant is quite extreme, but helps highlight for us how important teeth and their function is for us.

Before- Worn teeth not functioning properly and will continue to wear at an exponential rate

After- Improved form leads to more harmonious functioning and less wear

At our office, it is our priority to help you minimize the rate of wear on your teeth as much as possible, and much past your 6th decade of life. We do that with many modalities including but not limited to bite splint therapy, bite leveling and resin/ceramic restorations. If you think your teeth have wear that you would like to address, just contact us for a consult!