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Bengal Tiger Relieved from Toothache on China's Tooth-Care Day
On China Tooth-Care Day, a 6-year-old Bengal tiger in the Shanghai Zoo had her old tooth, which had agonized her for two years, replaced with an artificial false tooth and she can now gnaw on bones again.
"Xiao Meng," the name of the tiger, broke one of her canine teeth at the age of three. Not long after, a bacteria infection induced pulpitis, which led to necrosis of the tiger's mandible. An 8 centimeter-long hole was left in her mouth.
The complicated operation was successfully conducted on the tooth-care day by 12 doctors and nurses from the Shanghai Xuhui District Tooth Care Clinic.
Xiao Meng was very nervous roaring incessantly when she first saw the operating bed. She soon went into a deep sleep after she was given an anesthetic.
Dr. Shen Jiewen, the chief dentist, cleaned the hole in Xiao Meng's mouth and filled it with artificial bone powders, a macromolecule active material imported from the United States. The tooth filler is also widely used in human dental surgery.
Having stitched the wound, doctors put a tooth sheath on the false tooth. The cast-iron sheath made using the country's most advanced techniques enables Xiao Meng to chew bones again.
The clinic has performed dental surgeries on many animals in the zoo, like leopards, elephants, giraffes, gorillas and kangaroos. It is negotiating with the zoo to set up an "Animal Tooth Care Center."
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