With this time of year comes talk of cute and fluffy animals like chicks and bunnies. So today we’re delving into the adorable world of bunnies—and their teeth! Let’s have a look into a rabbit’s mouth to discover a few fun facts about what’s inside.

How Many Teeth Do Rabbits Have?

If you’ve ever seen Bugs Bunny, then you know this already: rabbits have large teeth! Most know that rabbits have four large front teeth, also known as incisors, which are very sharp. However, most are unaware they have 24 other teeth. Rabbits actually have six incisors: right behind the upper incisors there are two small “peg teeth,” with another two on the top and another two on the bottom. They also have cheek teeth along the side of their mouth. There are about twelve on top and ten on the bottom.

What Do Rabbits Use Their Teeth for?

Why do rabbits have such sharp incisors in the first place? Well, these incisors are used to slice through rough vegetation. While most people think rabbits just eat carrots all day, their diet is actually quite a bit more diverse than that. Rabbits have been known to eat pieces of tree bark, fibrous grasses, weeds, hay, leaves, and twigs. The incisors come in particularly helpful, you can imagine, when trying to bite into a tree!

As for those cheek teeth? These help rabbits chew the food into smaller pieces so they can swallow and digest it. In that sense, they function a lot like our molars.

At this point you might be wondering: surely that wears their teeth down after awhile? It does, but unlike ours, rabbit teeth are open-rooted. That means, if they eat enough fiber, they grow continuously throughout the rabbit’s lives! Most rabbits’ teeth grow between three to five inches every year, so the wearing down is a good thing.

Remember to Care for Your Own Teeth!

We hope you enjoyed this brief survey of bunny teeth. As for human teeth, if have any questions or concerns about yours, be sure to contact us here at Middletown Commons Family Dental and set up an appointment with Dr. Ward today!