Alaskan Bear Gets Shiny Metal Dental Crown

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    DULUTH, Minn. — In a groundbreaking development for veterinary dentistry, Tundra, a massive 800-pound brown bear residing at the Lake Superior Zoo in northeastern Minnesota, now boasts a striking new silver-colored canine tooth. This innovative dental procedure marks the first of its kind for a bear.

    Sedated on Monday, Tundra underwent a unique operation to receive a brand-new, specially-designed crown—the largest of its type ever crafted, according to zoo officials. “He’s got a little glint in his smile now,” noted Caroline Routley, the zoo’s marketing manager, while discussing the procedure on Wednesday.

    The operation, lasting an hour, was conducted by the highly skilled Dr. Grace Brown, a board-certified dental veterinarian. Dr. Brown is experienced with Tundra, having performed a root canal on the same tooth two years prior. Following a reinjury to the tooth, the team decided to install a more robust titanium alloy crown. This innovative crown was meticulously fashioned for Tundra by Creature Crowns of Post Falls, Idaho, using a wax cast of the bear’s tooth.

    Dr. Brown has announced plans to publish a paper detailing the procedure in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry later this year, highlighting the unprecedented scale of the task. “This is the largest crown ever created in the world,” she exclaimed. “It must be documented.”

    Tundra, along with his brother Banks, has been a resident of the Duluth zoo since the age of three months after the bears’ mother was tragically killed. Now six years old, Tundra stands a towering 8 feet tall when on his hind legs. Due to his enormous size and potential risk, a member of the zoo’s specialized armed response team was on-hand during the operation, equipped and prepared, should Tundra wake unexpectedly. Fortunately, the procedure was seamless, and Tundra has returned to his environment, displaying normal behaviors and appetite.

    Unlike this successful operation, other veterinary interventions in the past have not always proceeded so smoothly. In 2009, at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska, a zoo veterinarian experienced severe arm injuries during a routine check-up when a 200-pound Malaysian tiger, rousing from sedation, reflexively bit down after its whiskers were brushed.