Thursday Afternoon Diversion: Sea Lion Dental Hygiene

By Kevin Robinson in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 11, 2011 8:00PM

Indigenous to North America, California Sea Lions - the classic circus animal, though not a true seal - are not only abundant in population, they're also highly intelligent. As such, they adapt well to man-made environments and respond well to training, resulting in their being prominent in marine zoos and entertainment acts.

Because they can dive to depths humans cannot and, due to their incredible speed and silence swimming underwater, the U.S. Navy has trained them to assist in certain military operations, such as equipment retrieval and underwater landmine detection.

Like humans, sea lions are susceptible to tooth decay as well - which is why these zoologists in France help keep the sea lions gums and teeth healthy with regular brushings.