Sisu grins and bears it during dental op

A 600-kilo polar bear at a wildlife park in Yorkshire has a smile back on its face thanks to a veterinary team that performed an hour-long dental procedure.

Three-year-old Sisu the polar bear was suffering with a broken tooth and a severe infection, raising fears that it could develop into an abscess and prompting rangers at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster to call in animal dentist Peter Kertesz.

Painful

Dr Kertesz was accompanied by dental nurse Monika Mazurkiewicz and a vet specialised in the use of anaesthetics.

Dr Kertesz said: “It was wonderful that the keepers have been so observant and attentive to the animals, and noticed this. I was glad we operated swiftly because a broken tooth can lead to severe infection and be very painful.”

Tooth

Dr Kertesz added: “It was a standard procedure where we cleaned out the infected root canal, which was more than 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.

“After the operation Sisu was standing very quickly, but he was kept in his den to recover fully.”