#Industry News
Case report: Polar bear’s unique dental operation in 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.
Maarit Hyypiä 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 experience 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.
