Jun 26, 2009 7:07 am US/Pacific
Docs Put A Smile On Fla. Sun Bear's Face
MIAMI (CBS) ―
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Metrozoo's Kala - The Malaysian Sun Bear
Metrozoo
One of Miami Metrozoo's Malayan Sun Bears will be feeling a lot 'sunnier' now that a pair of Coral Gables dentists have fixed a broken tooth. Dr. Richard Souviron and Dr. Randy Groh, both from Dental Leaders, gave 16-year-old Kala a root canal Thursday to repair a damaged upper canine tooth, CBS station WFOR-TV reports.
An endangered species, Malayan Sun Bears are found in small isolated forest areas of Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Weighing between 100 and 200 pounds, they are considered the smallest bears in the world. They're expert tree climbers and feed on a variety of fruits and vegetation, insects, birds, and small mammals. They are considered to be one of the most dangerous animals within their range in the wild.
Dr. Chriss Miller: "She's under anesthesia. She doesn't have normal control of her swallowing."
"We're going to isolate it so that we don't get any bacteria from our procedure," said Dr. Randy Groh, Kala's dentist. "And then we're going to perform the root canal just as we would for a human."
Ron Magill, Miami Metrozoo spokesman said the infection could even lead to her death.
"It can also lead to a bad bite, which could lead to her not eating properly," Magill said. "There's all types of complications that can lead from a broken canine."
At Metrozoo Kala shares her space with a 23-year-old male Malayan Sun Bear named Liberty. Kala was born at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and arrived at Miami Metrozoo on loan in September of 1994. Twenty-five Sun Bears have been born at Metrozoo since 1981 making it one of the most successful breeding programs in the country.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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