on black bear

BEARING HER TEETH

Dentist performs three root canals on black bear

By Lauren H. Dowdle

Lions and tigers and bears, oh yes — Dr. Bert Gaddis treats them all. This dental specialist has worked on animals ranging from fruit bats to African elephants. So when a 275-pound American black bear named Yum Yum needed dental work this past summer, it’s no wonder the Montgomery Zoo & Mann Wildlife Learning Museum gave him a call.

Gaddis is the owner of Animal Dental Specialists in Indian Springs (formerly Indian Springs Animal Clinic). Though he mainly provides dental care to household pets in his office, he also treats exotic animals from zoos about once a month. While pet owners might be able to tell their furry friend is having a dental problem, exotic animals aren’t as easy to examine while they are awake. That’s why zoo veterinarians perform exams and bloodwork on the animals when they are sedated. It was during one of those exams that the staff noticed Yum Yum, an 18-yearold female bear, had four teeth that were worn down and broken — and three of those teeth appeared to be open. That Gaddis previously treated. One of the lions at the Birmingham Zoo broke three of its canines, and Gaddis had to perform three separate root canal procedures to finish them. Treating a bear or lion might seem like a grizzly task, but all of his exotic patients are completely under anesthesia before he ever enters the room. The zoo staff handles and monitors the anesthesia, which allows Gaddis to focus all of his attention on the type of injury is often caused from the animal, whether it’s a gorilla, tiger, otter, red bear chewing on things. Gaddis was able panda, or hippopotamus — all animals he’s to confirm the teeth would need three root treated. “The zoo vets and staff do a great canals. Because animals can only stay under job,” he says. “In all of the zoo work I’ve anesthesia for a certain amount of time done, I’ve never had any concerns about an — which is determined by certain health animal waking up.” factors — Gaddis wasn’t sure if it would take Gaddis received his undergraduate multiple procedures. In Yum Yum’s case, Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Dairy the zoo vets were comfortable keeping her Science and his doctorate in veterinary under for about three hours. “Sometimes, medicine from Auburn University. He it’s the unknown of how long it will take to purchased Indian Springs Animal Clinic in do a root canal,” Gaddis says. Pelham in 1984. In June, Gaddis revamped

He started working on the side of Yum his animal clinic, changing the name to Yum’s mouth with the two affected canines, Animal Dental Specialists to focus only and they were then able to turn her over so on animal dental services. The clinic he could finish the third tooth on the other accepts dental referrals from veterinarians side. So, Gaddis was able to perform three in the Greater Birmingham area, root canals during one procedure, helping the Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. bear get back to normal more quickly. That’s To learn more about his practice, visit not always the case, though, like with a lion animaldentalspecialists.com. Reach your market with us — (205) 617-9609 or matthew@jbmcmedia.com 10