Among all the species of the Sharks, the Great White Sharks are the most fearsome creatures of the deep ocean, the monsters. They are a species of the large Macekeral Shark and mostly dwell in the coastal areas of major oceans. They are built to hunt and are the biggest predators currently living in the ocean.
The teeth are the most distinctive and threatening feature of the Great White Sharks. What is so great about their teeth? The Great White Sharks have razor-sharp, serrated teeth to attack and eat the prey. These species are responsible for 50% of the Shark attacks. Let’s discuss the teeth of the fascinating oceanic predator, the Great White Shark.
In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the following outline:
- How Many Teeth Do Great White Sharks Have?
- What is the Tooth’s Anatomy of the Great White Shark?
- What is the Average Size Tooth of a Great White Shark?
- Why Do Great White Sharks Have Such Massive Teeth?
- What is the Bite Force of a Great White Shark? How Strong Is It?
- Teeth Comparison: Great White Shark VS Megalodon
How Many Teeth Do Great White Sharks Have?
The Great White Sharks are the largest known predatory fish and are present at the top of the marine food chain. They have an average size of 20 feet long and 7000 pounds weight. They have strong and incredibly sharp teeth and one of the strongest bites in the kingdom Animalia. They do not have one set of teeth, their teeth regenerate throughout life.
The Great White Sharks have five rows of teeth in their upper jaw and four rows of teeth in their bottom jaw. In the first row, the largest and only active teeth for hunting are present. The young Great White Sharks have 13 to 15 teeth per row while the adults have 18 to 20 teeth per row. The fully grown adult has 300 fully functional teeth. These species grow an average of 20,000 teeth in their life. If one tooth breaks, the tooth from the previous row moves forward to take its place and the new tooth grows within 24 hours.
What is the Tooth’s Anatomy of the Great White Shark?
Below we have mentioned the general characteristics of the tooth of the Great White Shark:
- These species have triangular-shaped teeth with a pointed tip and broad base.
- There are Coarse serrations along the edges of the tooth to slice through the skin, fish, and bone of the prey.
- The tooth is covered with a strong enamel coating. It adds strength to crunch the bone.
- A Dentin interior under the enamel provides flexibility to the shark to prevent fracture.
- The Sharks have deep roots that embed strongly into the jawbone; they provide the force while biting the prey.
What is the Average Size Tooth of a Great White Shark?
The Great White Sharks have triangular-shaped teeth specially designed to attack and tear apart the prey. Depending on their diet, they have extremely large teeth and mouths. These species have strong and powerful teeth and jaws. They have 35 inches of jaws across and 29 inches of high jaws. The average tooth size of a Great White Shark is 3 inches, which is nearly equal to the head of a human. It is one of the largest carnivore tooth species.
The shape and size of the teeth of sharks depend on the gender, age, and size of the Shark; from the long and narrow to the wider and triangular. The following are the different sizes of the Great White Shark tooth:
- The newborn and juvenile have smaller, narrow, and needle-like teeth. The average length of their teeth is 0.5 to 1 inch. They are for gripping the prey, not for slicing it.
- The female species of the Great White Shark are larger than males. The mature female has 2 to 2.5 inches long teeth.
- The 3-inch tooth belongs to the fully developed mature male Great White Shark.
Why Do Great White Sharks Have Such Massive Teeth?
Great White Sharks are carnivores, meaning they feed on Dolphins, seals, Sea lions, and other animals. These animals have slippery streamlined bodies, and the huge triangular teeth of sharks provide a strong grip on these animals.
The Great White Shark feeds on the animals with insulating blubber, so their teeth are designed to pierce the protective layer of these animals and access the nutrition. Once they grab their prey, these Sharks shake their heads side by side to slice the skin, muscle, and bone of the captured species using their razor-sharp teeth. Their teeth also protect them while attacking hazardous prey like fully grown Whales.
What is the Bite Force of a Great White Shark? How Strong Is It?
The Great White Shark has an extremely powerful bite with an average bite force of 4000 PSI. These species have powerful jaws, and they move the top and bottom of their mouth simultaneously to attack the prey.
The large and sharp teeth of the Great White Shark help it to chew the large chunks of the flesh. On the list of the Sharks with strangers bite it is in first position. The other Sharks with the strongest bites are Tiger Shark (325 psi), Great Hammerhead (539 psi), Bull Shark (1300 psi), and Shortfin Mako (3000 psi).
Teeth Comparison: Great White Shark VS Megalodon
The Megalodon is an extinct species that is up to 60 feet long and preys on whales. It had a triangular serrated tooth of 7-inch length and this tooth of the Megalodon is twice the size of the Great White Shark tooth.
The Great White Shark has the largest tooth among contemporary Sharks. It has an average tooth size of 3 inches. The tooth sizes of other biggest predators of the ocean are:
| Specie | Tooth Size |
| Bull Shark | 1.5 inches |
| Mako Shark | 1 inch |
| Hammerhead Shark | Less than 1 inch |
| Tiger Shark | 2 inches |
FAQs
1: How big is a Megalodon tooth?
The Megalodon Sharks have the biggest teeth ever. Megalodon simply means large tooth. The size of the Megalodon tooth is 7 inches and were specialized to feed on large prey including Whales.
2: How often are Great White Shark teeth replaced?
The teeth of the Great White Shark are replaced at least once per week; the younger Sharks replace teeth more frequently during their growing phases.
3: Are Shark teeth classified as bone or other types of tissues?
The shark’s teeth are not bones. Instead, they are composed of dentin and enamel which is a type of tissue.
4: Where can I find the Great White Shark teeth?
You can find the teeth of Great White Sharks around various locations in the world like Florida, California, and South Carolina.
5: How can you identify the Great White Shark teeth?
The teeth of the Great White Sharks are white in color and triangular; they have pointed tips and serrated edges.
Final Thoughts
The Great White Sharks are fascinating oceanic predators. They are the true marvel of nature and consume large marine animals. These species have sharp and powerful teeth with an average size of 3 inches allowing them to easily tear apart their prey. According to the size of their teeth and strongest bite, they are the number one contemporary sharks.
