Page 34 - PlanWorld_2021

Case Report

Polar bear’s unique dental

operation in Finland

Copy Mari Koivunen Images Helena Sundberg and Sami Karttunen The Ranua Wildlife Park is home to polar bears,
as well as 50 different other arctic animal
species amid the northern woods of the Lappish
wilderness of Finland. In the early autumn 2019,
the resident 15-year-old female polar bear, Venus,
was observed to eat poorly and repeatedly
rubbing her left jaw with her paws. The wildlife
park’s dedicated staff suspected one or more
of her teeth might be causing pain for the sow.
Veterinary professionals from across the Nordic
countries quickly assembled in Ranua to perform
a unique dental treatment with the assistance of
the Planmeca Group.

Image: Getty Images THE subtle changes in the behaviour of Venus the polar bear did
not go unnoticed by the veterinarian of Ranua municipality Maarit
34 Hyypiä, who takes care of the wildlife park's animals. She quickly
assembled a highly skilled team of veterinary dental diplomates
from across Northern Europe for the sow’s dental procedure with
the help of Anne Karttimo-Mäkynen of Oulu, Finland.

Board-certified Veterinary Dental Specialists Hanne Kortegaard,
Head of the Dental Clinic at the Companion Animal Hospital at
Copenhagen University, was called into service due to her experi-
ence with polar bears’ dental treatments along with Helena Kuntsi,
the Head Veterinary Dentist at the Anident veterinary dental clinic.

Additionally, the head veterinarian of the Korkeasaari Zoo Sanna
Sainmaa, and Helsinki University’s equine veterinarian, Anna
Mykkänen, participated in the project as experts in anaesthesia.
The team reached out to Planmeca Group to provide the support of
equipment and innovation experts.

The assembled project team started to plan the dental operation
thoroughly. Because a polar bear sow can weigh up to 300 kg,
it would be impossible to move her after she is anaesthetised.
Therefore, it was necessary to treat Venus under very challenging
circumstances – in her cool and dim den – a confined space for
a procedure involving multiple specialists. A temporary dental clinic
including lighting needed to be rapidly constructed in the den
once Venus was ready for examination and treatment.

Root canal treatment for the polar bear in 56 minutes
Thanks to the care of the wildlife park’s staff, the project team had a
relatively good idea of the treatment the polar bear would probably
need. The veterinary dental specialists decided to limit Venus’s time
under anaesthesia and treat only one tooth and perform a dental
check-up for the rest of the teeth.

As a result of the seamless cooperation, the dental operation
was finished in approximately three hours after the animal was
sedated. There was no time for any delays since the polar bear is
the most dangerous anaesthetised animal for humans among all
captive animals.

Image: Getty Images