Why Wild Animals Don’t Need Toothbrushes But We Do

Humans are told from childhood to brush twice a day, floss regularly, and visit the dentist every six months. But out in the wild, you won’t see gorillas reaching for mouthwash or tigers lining up for a cleaning. So, why don’t animals have to brush their teeth?

According to IFLScience’s Rachael Funnell, it’s not that animals never face dental issues—it’s just that their diets and lifestyles naturally Support better oral health than ours. In episode 9 of the We Have Questions podcast, Funnell interviews Peter Kertesz, a dental consultant who’s worked on everything from dolphins to elephants. His experience at ZSL London Zoo and other wildlife facilities offers some eye-opening insights.

Wild animals generally avoid refined sugars, processed foods, and acidic drinks—major culprits of human tooth decay. Instead, their diets often include tough, fibrous foods that naturally scrape plaque off teeth. Chewing raw meat, crunching on bones, or grazing on plant matter provides a kind of built-in dental care.

That said, dental problems still happen. Zoo animals, especially those fed human-provided diets or living longer than their wild counterparts, sometimes require interventions like root canals or extractions. Kertesz’s work ensures these animals don’t suffer silently—but their care is the exception, not the rule.

Nature’s own version of oral hygiene is a reminder: many of the health issues humans face stem from how far we’ve drifted from natural living. It’s a great reason to rethink our diets—not just for our teeth, but for the planet, too.

So if we want healthier mouths and a healthier Earth, let’s take a cue from the wild. Choose whole, plant-based foods, skip the sugary snacks, and advocate for natural living—for us and all animals.

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