Animals at the Dentist: Oral Health at the Zoo [SLIDESHOW]

Open Wide: Animals at the Dentist [SLIDESHOW]

Sometimes animals need a little tender love and care when it comes to their dental health.

Like humans, they also require regular visits to the dentist to prevent mouth disease and plaque build-up.

Our collection shows animals flashing their pearly whites as they get their teeth cleaned and checked.

Photo:REUTERS

Animals at the Dentist

Open wider: Keeper brushes a hippo's teeth at Shanghai Zoo. The hippo has its teeth cleaned three times a week to reduce the chance of mouth diseases.

Photo:REUTERS

Animals at the Dentist

Big smile: A dentist polishes the teeth of a horse in Bogota. Some dentists in Colombia offer dental services for horses used in equestrian competitions. Treatments include the creation of moulds and fixtures to help correct problems with tooth alignment and underbite.

Photo:REUTERS Seal of approval: An Australian sea lion has its teeth cleaned and inspected at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.

Animals at the Dentist

Seal of approval: An Australian sea lion has its teeth cleaned and inspected at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo

Photo:REUTERS Scrub-a-dub-dub: A Warsaw zoo keeper gives Gucio, the zoo's male hippopotamus, a much-needed tooth scrub. Although the daily food intake of a hippopotamus consists of 40 kgs and is largely of apples, he needs regular teeth brushing to prevent plaque build-up.

Animals at the Dentist

Scrub-a-dub-dub: A Warsaw zookeeper gives Gucio, the zoo's male hippopotamus, a much-needed tooth scrub. Although the 40kg daily food intake of a hippo consists largely of apples, he needs regular teeth brushing to prevent plaque build-up.