Rat teeth - features, structure and interesting facts

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Rat teeth among rodent lovers often become a cause for concern and a source of myths. Perhaps, this organ, along with the tail, is one of the most amazing in the entire anatomy of the animal. They are not only incredibly sharp, but also capable of developing a pressure of more than 1500 kg per 1 cm2, which allows you to easily gnaw through lead pipes, cinder blocks and other hard surfaces.

The article discusses in detail what color a rat's teeth are, how many they should have, structural features, possible problems and ways to solve them.

Anatomical features

What kind of teeth does a rat have? The chewing surface of this organ in all mammals has a specific structure. For many it is:

• cutters;
• fangs;
• premolars;
• molars (otherwise called molars).

The rat got only two of the four species, namely: incisors and molars. These animals have a gap ofthe jaw, where the second incisors, premolars and canines should be located, is empty.

Incisors

Four long and sharp teeth are incisors. They are located in front of the jaw. Distinguish between upper and lower. The top ones are usually shorter than the bottom ones. Their purpose is to chew food, as well as obstacles that arise in the path of the animal. It is the incisors that are meant when they say that the teeth of rats grow throughout their lives.

Features of incisors

Incisors erupt in cubs after 1 - 1.5 weeks from birth. A rat's teeth grow very quickly, up to two to three millimeters per week. They grow to a normal size in two months, but do not stop growing. This feature is due to the fact that rats chatter their teeth. In order to avoid breaking off, the appearance of cracks, blunting, they must be grinded in time.

If the animal does not have the opportunity to do this with a special material, the rodent begins to chatter with its teeth. Otherwise, the incisors will begin to bend into a spiral and bend at an angle of eighty degrees. In the wild, this can cause discomfort to the animal, cause hunger, or even lead to the death of the animal. The same applies to individuals with the wrong bite. In this regard, they cannot grind off the bottom edge of the enamel correctly.

Home care

Maintaining your pet's oral cavity at home is much easier. He needs to be given special toys and whetstones for grinding. If athere is an overgrowth of the incisors, it is possible to cut the enamel by a few millimeters. This procedure is quite fast, and it is not felt by the rats themselves, since the enamel does not have nerve endings. In this way, you can get rid of the nightly tapping of the teeth that the pet makes.

Molars

At the back of a rat's jaw are the molars. Their main function is to grind and grind food before swallowing it. In order for a rat to eat normally, it needs six molars on each side: three are located above, and three below. Contrary to popular belief that rat teeth grow throughout life, molars do not grow, change, or fall out. They stay with the rat for the rest of their lives.

The structure of molars

How then does the animal use molars, and why do they not interfere with the work of the incisors when chewing? Thanks to their wide and flat shape, it is convenient not to chew food with them, but to grind them. When a rodent eats food, its jaw does not move up and down, but one moves slightly back. Therefore, the molars do not knock against each other, but rub.

In baby animals, molars appear in different ways:

• the very first on the nineteenth day after birth;
• on the twenty-first day - the second batch;
• on the fourth - fifth week, the third and last molars appear.

The baby has all the necessary molars and incisors already at the sixth week. The growth of molars continues right up to the fourth month, and then it completely slows down and comes to naught. The enamel on them is very strong, according to the Mohs scale itthe coefficient is 5.5 (diamond with a hardness coefficient of 10 is taken as the absolute). Therefore, its abrasion occurs very slowly and practically does not affect the life of the animal.

Mineral composition

A rat tooth is made up of three different layers:

• enamels;
• dentine;
• pulp.

The crown is formed by hard enamel, which is on top. Enamel is mainly composed of calcium and other minerals. The softer substance is under it - this is dentin. It protects the pulp from adverse effects. The soft pulp contains blood vessels and nerve channels. In addition, in the place where it connects with the jawbone and gum, periodontium is formed, which provides reliable fastening both with neighboring molars and incisors, and with the alveolus. In rodents (gophers, mice, and others), molars are predominantly similar in structure, while incisors have minor differences.

Why do rats have yellow teeth?

The incisors of rats are painted with yellow pigment. At first, the teeth of the rats are white, but by the twenty-first day, a slight yellowish tint appears on the upper teeth. By the twenty-fifth day, they already acquire a distinct yellow color, and the lower ones are just beginning to color. By the thirty-eighth day, the lower incisors become a rich yellow color. But the upper ones are still painted more intensely. This difference in color persists throughout the life of the rodent. The upper teeth of adult rats are a dark orange-yellow color, while the lower teeth remain yellow.

Disease prevention

To keep your pet he althy and alert, you need to monitor the condition of his teeth and jaws. The appearance of at least one of the following dangerous symptoms should alert the owner of the animal:

• sores on the mucous membrane of the lips and cheeks;
• knocking when eating;
• increased salivation;
• lack of appetite;
• swelling of the mucosa or tongue;
• a rat lost a tooth;
• abscess formation.

In this case, you should immediately contact a specialist. In the veterinary clinic, they usually conduct an examination, research on bacterial microflora, treat the oral cavity with local antiseptics. If necessary, the doctor can grind or trim the incisors, correct the bite and give all the necessary recommendations for proper pet care.