Zoo In Duluth, MN Performs Breakthrough Dental Procedure On Bear

I don't think a single soul enjoys going to the dentist. Don't get me wrong, as a man who grew up with a mom who was a dental assistant in Duluth, I understand, as most people do, that it's important to visit the dentist, or you could wind up with a very painful situation that requires many additional visits.

But that doesn't make a trip to the dentist something we look forward to, and many people are terrified of them. Studies have shown that up to 61% of adults in the U.S. experience some form of dental anxiety or fear. This fear can range from mild apprehension to severe phobia, with some individuals avoiding dental care altogether.

However, while it may not be fun and even scary for some people, dentists play a vital role in the health of people and animals; they even help the largest of animals that most people wouldn't want to get close to ever.

Take, for example, the recent groundbreaking dental procedure done at the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minnesota, involving a brown bear with a troubling dental situation.

According to a recent Facebook post from the Lake Superior Zoo, located at 7210 Freemont Street in Duluth, dental history was made with Tundra, a 1,000-pound Alaskan brown bear.

Back in 2023, Tundra had fractured a tooth, which required a root canal. Unfortunately, despite that successful procedure, he reinjured the area, and that began a historic journey.

Anyone who's ever had a similar situation knows that a crown is generally needed to cover and protect a tooth after a root canal, and that was also the case for Tundra. However, this wouldn't be just any crown; it would require one that is massive and custom-made.

Thanks to a collaboration between Minnesota Veterinary Dental Specialists, Creature Crowns, iM3, and the Lake Superior Zoo team, the largest veterinary crown ever created in the world was made and successfully placed on Tundra.

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The groundbreaking procedure was led by Dr. Grace Brown, Minnesota’s only privately owned Board Certified Veterinary Dentist. Now, the Lake Superior Zoo proudly boasts that Tundra is officially the first bear to have received a full metal crown.

Staff at the zoo invite everyone to visit Tundra, and it's the perfect time because he'll likely be in a very good mood now that his trip to the dentist is over and he's feeling no pain, not to mention his new crown looks pretty cool.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz