The largest dinosaurs in the fossil record, Sauropod dinosaurs, grew new teeth almost every month, according to a study conducted by Michael D'Emic from Stony Brook University and colleagues from other institutions. The study was published in the journal Public Library of Science, July 17, 2013.

According to RedOrbit, the tooth replacement rates might be higher in Diplodocus and Camarasaurus, the two distantly related Sauropod dinosaurs of similar size, because they require enormous amount of food to maintain their body which results in erosion of teeth.

"A nearly 100-foot-long sauropod would have had a fresh tooth in each position about every one to two months, sometimes less," said D'Emic.

The researchers arrived at the conclusion after studying in-detail about a Camarasaurus jaw from Utah and a Diplodocus jaw from Colorado. They found that Camarasaurus had up to three "baby teeth" in each tooth socket, and would replace about one tooth every 62 days. On the other hand, each Diplodocus tooth socket featured up to five replacement teeth behind each visible tooth, and each tooth was replaced once in 35 days.

"The microscopic structure of teeth and bones records aspects of an animal's physiology, giving us a window into the biology of long-extinct animals," said D'Emic. "We determined that for gigantic sauropods, each tooth took just a few months to form. Effectively, sauropods took a 'quantity over quality' approach."

The researchers determined the age of each individual tooth by counting the layers of dentin like rings in a tree stump and by analyzing the intervals between teeth in a jaw socket, they found out the replacement rate of teeth.