Do Cockroaches Have Teeth?
WouterCockroaches are not mammals, so they do not have teeth in the strict sense. They have a brain but no head, and their mouths are made up of a complex jaw and subpharynx with salivary glands. Their mouths also feature a tongue-like organ, which they use to bite and digest food. They also have backup antennae for sensing their surroundings.
In addition to their mouths, cockroaches have labrums, which are triangular structures, and mandibles, which are used to grind food. These mandibles are unjointed, but are not very large. Their labrums help them hold food in during grinding. In addition to this, they also help with chewing. The mandibles also serve as an organ for moving the food around the body.
Cockroaches don’t have hands, but they do have labrums, which are flattened cuticles that are found on the front part of their mouths. Like human upper lips, the labrum helps roaches pull food toward their mouths. The labrum also serves to hold food in place, preventing it from falling out during chewing.
The mandibles of cockroaches are the most powerful parts of their mouths. Their bite force is almost five times stronger than the bite force of a human! Their mandibles also serve as jaws and prevent food from spilling out of their mouth. Cockroaches also use their mandibles as teeth, using them to chew their food and pull it into their mouths.
