When we think of dinosaurs we tend to think of the ferocious meat-eaters - dinosaurs like T-rex and velociraptor that had sharp, scary teeth. But there were, of course, other dinosaurs, such as brachiosaurus, whose mouths looked altogether different. If you’ve ever wondered what dinosaur teeth looked like, how they were arranged, or what they can tell us, you’ll find lots of fun facts here.

1. Teeth tell scientists a lot about a dinosaur

When a paleontologist - that’s a dinosaur scientist - finds a skull with some teeth in, it’s like hitting the jackpot. The size and shape of teeth provides lots of clues about what the dinosaur would have eaten. For example, a dinosaur called apatosaurus had long, rake-like teeth which helped it to strip leaves off branches. T-rex had sharp, knife-like teeth to tear meat off its prey, while triceratops had a lot of small, sharp teeth to slice plants.

2. Some herbivores had meat-eating ancestors

On the theme of teeth and diet, scientists found in 2022 that some of the ancestors of herbivores like diplodocus ate meat. They discovered this from looking at the shape, size and function of tooth fossils and using computer models to learn how stress would be distributed across the jaw when biting or chewing.

3. Sauropods’ teeth were quickly replaced

Unlike humans, who only get through two sets of teeth in a lifetime, sauropods (that’s large dinosaurs with a long neck and tail who ate plants) got through several. Their teeth are thought to have been small and pencil shaped, growing and getting worn down rapidly. It’s possible that some dinosaurs’ teeth were replaced as often as every few weeks.

4. Herbivores had more complex teeth than carnivores

Carnivore teeth were fairly simple as they only had one function - to rip flesh. Herbivore teeth, however, were more complex, with different ridges, crests and cusps for grinding and processing different types of plant material.

5. T-rex may have had lips to protect its teeth

Unlike today’s crocodiles, whose teeth are exposed, research suggests that tyrannosaurus rex may have had scaly ‘lips’ that covered its teeth. The theory arose when scientists noticed a relative lack of tooth wear compared to living reptiles.

6. Hadrosaurs had the most teeth

If you asked a group of dinosaurs to smile for a photograph, the hadrosaur would have had the biggest grin. This duck-billed reptile had up to 1,000 cheek teeth that it used to break down tough vegetation.

Discover dinosaurs live

If you’re intrigued by dinosaurs, why not book tickets for a walking with dinosaurs theatre show? Dinosaur World Live is touring the UK from 1 October 2024, and you can find out if it’s at your local venue by searching “family theatre near me”. Aimed at kids aged three and up, the 55-minute production uses spectacular puppetry to bring you a dinosaur adventure live, introducing children to favourite such as triceratops and T-rex as well as lesser known dinos such as giraffatitan and microraptor. It’s an experience not to be missed!