15 Crazy Facts About Shark Teeth We Bet You Didn’t Know About

So, what is so special about shark teeth? Well, unlike humans, who grow 20 primary teeth which are then replaced with 32 adult teeth, the number of teeth a shark has in its lifetime will shock you…! 

Here are 15 shark teeth facts that you might not know.

1. Shark teeth are layered in rows 

Sharks have multiple rows of growing teeth behind a row of working teeth. Ranging from small sand sharks to larger species, sharks lose their working teeth by shedding them when broken or loose, with the growing or developing tooth of the row behind moving forward to replace the lost tooth.

2. Human teeth are stronger than shark teeth

Surprisingly, shark teeth are not anywhere near as durable as human teeth, as they lack roots. When shark teeth fall out and are replaced by developing teeth, the lost teeth can often be found on the ocean floor or washed up on beaches. 

3. Sharks can have tens of thousands of teeth during their lifetime

Shark teeth are easily replaced by their rows of growing teeth, sometimes within a day after a tooth falls out! Sharks can go through up to 50,000 teeth in a lifetime, making them one of the easiest fossils to find.

4. Megalodon teeth are the most valuable

Shark’s teeth are common fossils that can be found across the globe. Out of all of these, megalodon’s teeth are the most valuable, being the largest of any shark’s teeth to ever exist.

5. The largest shark tooth found was 7 5/8″

This tooth belonged to a Megalodon – the largest shark to ever exist – and was found in a South Carolina river bed. It’s four largest teeth measured in at over seven inches, with the shark itself measuring 70 feet long. 

6. Some shark teeth are non-functional

Non-functional teeth, found in basking sharks and whale sharks, are used to filter feed, where the shark opens its mouth and sucks in tiny prey organisms rather than biting its food.

7. Sharks have four types of teeth

Types of teeth depend on the size and diet of sharks, with the four types of teeth including:

Long and narrow teeth: Needle-like teeth help to grip slippery fish

Plate-like teeth: Thick, plate-like teeth help to crush shells of crustaceans or mollusks, which is useful for sharks that stay closer to the seabed

Sharp, serrated teeth: Species such as great whites or tiger sharks need sharp teeth to eat other mammals

Tiny, non-functional teeth: Species such as whale sharks have about 3,000 tiny individual teeth, but they tend to swallow their food whole.

8. Shark teeth are used to understand history

Fossilised teeth are particularly useful for scientists to study ancient species of sharks, and can even help to identify extinct species from millions of years ago.

9. Shark teeth were used as tools by humans 

Historically, the native people of Oceania and America used shark’s teeth for weapons, food preparation, and inscription. 

10. Shark teeth have their own ‘toothpaste’

The outer layer of shark’s teeth is made up of acid-resistant fluoride, which is a natural cavity fighter found in (human!) toothpastes. 

11. Some sharks eat their own teeth

The cookiecutter shark sheds its entire lower plate at the same time, rather than losing one tooth at a time, and will often swallow them along with whatever food it’s eating.

12. Sharks are born with complete sets of teeth

When sharks are born, they are able to swim away from their mother and immediately fend for themselves with a complete set of teeth.

13. Shark’s upper and lower jaws move

Most animals’ upper jaws are attached to their skulls, but for sharks their upper jaw can detach when attacking prey.

14. Sharks have a bite force of over 18,000N

In comparison, humans have a bite force of around 1,200N, making shark bites fifteen times more powerful than a human bite.

15. Fossilisation of shark teeth takes around 10,000 years

When the body of a shark decomposes, its teeth will fossilise. This process takes around 10,000 years, with the most common shark teeth fossils found today being around 65,000 years old.

We hope that you learned some new shark teeth facts from this article. If you are interested we have some amazing shark teeth fossils you can buy.