Do sharks get cavities?
Sharks are naturally immune to cavities because their teeth are coated in fluoride.
Shark teeth are made of fluoroapatite, a mineral similar to the fluoride in toothpaste. This built-in defense makes their teeth incredibly resistant to acid and bacteria. While humans must apply fluoride to protect their enamel, sharks are born with this permanent protection. They also grow up to 30,000 teeth in a lifetime, ensuring they always have sharp, healthy tools for hunting.
Nerd Mode
A 2012 study published in the Journal of Structural Biology revealed that shark teeth are fundamentally different from human teeth at a chemical level. While human enamel consists of hydroxyapatite, shark enameloid is composed of 100% fluoroapatite. This mineral is significantly more resistant to acid than the minerals found in human mouths.Fluoroapatite is the same substance created on human teeth when we use fluoride toothpaste or drink fluoridated water. However, while humans only have a thin surface layer of this protection, sharks have it integrated throughout their entire tooth structure. This makes their teeth virtually immune to the bacterial acids that cause tooth decay and cavities.Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen used scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to confirm these findings. They studied the teeth of Shortfin Mako and Tiger sharks, finding that the chemical composition remains consistent across different species. This chemical armor is essential because sharks do not have the ability to clean their teeth manually.In addition to this chemical defense, sharks utilize a polyphyodont dental system. This means they constantly shed and replace teeth in a conveyor-belt fashion throughout their lives. A single shark can lose and regrow thousands of teeth, ensuring that any damaged or worn-out teeth are quickly replaced by fresh, fluoride-coated replacements.
Verified Fact
FP-0004258 · Feb 18, 2026