Cows have no upper teeth.
A cow’s teeth are distributed much differently than a humans’ teeth are. Unlike humans, cattle can be born with or without teeth. When they obtain their permanent teeth, after 30 months, they have 12 premolars top and bottom, 12 molars on top and bottom, and only 8 incisors which are all found on the bottom of their mouths. Instead of upper incisors, a cow has what is called a dental pad, a patch of tough skin covering their gums. Not just cows, sheep and goats, but all species of ruminants lack top incisors. All these animals have a tough wad of gum on their top lip instead of front teeth, and a huge gap between the dental pad and the back teeth.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
56 Comments
Kim Hernandez
Cows have no upper front teeth
Carl Belken
When I was a kid we had a very gentle milk cow. She was raised by kids. When I'd milk her she'd turn her head and start licking my face. A cows tongue is like really rough sandpaper so I'd pull my cap down over the side of my face. She'd then proceed to lick my arm, I could tolerate that a bit, but I still hurried up with my milking.
Elaine Daly
Well l don’t agree with this answer
Charlie Springer
Cows don’t have front top teeth because they need a thick dental pad there instead. They use the dental pad—along with their bottom teeth—to grab grass, twist it, and pull it into their mouths with their rough tongues. Front teeth are usually incisor teeth, which cows don’t need because they eat and swallow their food quickly, without chewing it right away. They swallow each bite and store the grass in the first of their four stomachs. Later, they bring it back up—regurgitate it—and chew on it with their molars to break down the difficult-to-digest cellulose matter in the grass and pull out the nutrients.
Tammy
We had cows on our farm and they had teeth on top. Just not long ones. They’re very short. Kim Hernandez,
Susan Lake-Harris
Cheryl Love, They do have top teeth - but not at the front.
Karen Copus
kevinstreets, Me too. Wisconsin !
Karen Copus
Cheryl Love..., agree!!
Cheryl Love
Another question with the wrong answer due to question-writer Gloria Vargas not having correct knowledge of this issue.
Cows do NOT have upper teeth, they have something entirely different, a dental pad.
Question reported, I hope others will report it.
Cheryl Love
Elaine Daly, you shouldn’t, it’s wrong,
Kevin Dale Streets
WOW! It seems the trend of true/false questions almost always being true has reversed! The last few I've answered true have been false. I grew up around cows, so I knew the answer to this one!
Charles Borg
No. Cows can’t bite because they don’t have any upper front teeth. When cattle are eating grass, they press their sharp bottom teeth against the top of their mouth, which is a hard palate. This then cuts the blades of grass so they can chew the grass.
Kenn Brothers
No. Cows can’t bite because they don’t have any upper front teeth. When cattle are eating grass, they press their sharp bottom teeth against the top of their mouth, which is a hard palate. This then cuts the blades of grass so they can chew the grass.
earlepg
rjrapper, Better read the statement (question) again. "Cows have no upper teeth". False, because they do have some upper teeth.
Lawanta
Carl Belken, 😄😍
Mary Anne Kalbfus
I have seen enough cows up close to know that.