Open wide now! A fearless dentist has removed the broken tooth from the mouth of a 1,322lb polar bear.
Dr Peter Kertesz performed the hour-long operation on three-year-old Sisu at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster.
The work – which also included adding a new specially made gnasher – was performed after the monster carnivore was found to be at risk of infection because of the sore tooth.
Needless to say the animal was anesthetised throughout the procedure.
“It was wonderful that the keepers have been so observant and attentive to the animals and noticed this,” said Dr Kertesz. “I was glad we operated swiftly because a broken tooth can lead to severe infection and be very painful.
“It was a standard procedure, where we cleaned out the infected root canal, which was over three inches long, and filled in the canine. We then had to build and shape the tooth, ensuring we kept its length. Sisu will now have a perfectly functioning tooth for the rest of his life.”
He added: “After the operation Sisu was standing very quickly, but he was kept in his den to recover fully.”.
A three-person team which also included dental nurse Monika Mazurkiewicz and a vet specialising in anesthetics, carried out the work.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is currently now the second largest polar bear facility in the world and the largest outside of Canada.
Sisu herself lives in a sprawling 10 acre Project Polar reserve at the site.
