Q: What are their teeth like?

A: Cows have unusual dental set-ups; they only have incisors (front teeth) on their bottom jaw; on the top they have no incisors, just a ‘dental pad’ which is a solid, flat part of the upper jaw. They do have cheek teeth (known as premolars and molars) (the same as humans) on both the upper and lower jaw. The incisors and the pad at the front snip or break off the food they are eating and the cheek teeth grind the food matter down, with help of the tongue that moves the food around their mouths. Interesting fact: the ‘dental pad’ is found in all ruminants e.g. goats and sheep, we well as camels, deer and giraffes!