Toothed whales only grow one set of teeth in their lives so SeaWorld places great importance on the care of killer whale teeth. Wild killer whales often have a variety of dental problems. It is not uncommon, for example, to see killer whales in their natural environment with teeth that are disease-ridden, worn, or broken. This is probably due to their aggressive feeding habits or old age. Wild killer whales have been observed with their teeth worn down to the gum level, which often exposes the pulp.
Abscesses can occur, resulting in lower jaw misalignment in some cases studied.
X-rays are used to examine the teeth more thoroughly as well. If more serious conditions arise, veterinarians that specialize in animal teeth work with the trainers to treat dental problems with killer whales at the SeaWorld Adventure Parks. 5. The question of animal intelligence is intriguing. It is extremely difficult, and in many cases misleading, to rate the intelligence of different kinds of animals. In fact, we have yet to provide a reliable and consistent intelligence test for humans.