Root Canal therapy in a African Lion

Even "Big" cats benefit from dental care. Makennon, a 7 year old African lion at Brookfield Zoo, fractured his mandibular right canine tooth in April of this year. The fracture involved a significant portion of the crown and exposed the pulp. Therapeutic options for this tooth included standard root canal therapy, surgical root canal therapy or extraction.

Root canal therapy is the preferred procedure in these patients. It is far less invasive, does not weaken the mandible, there is no post-operative wound management and preserves tooth function.

The procedure was performed at Brookfield Zoo in May 2006. I assisted Dr. Sandra Manfra Diplomate AVDC, ACVS in the two step procedure. Dental radiographs were challenging and canal length made the instrumentation of the canal difficult. The canal was long (68mm) and wide. Contrast this to our domestic cats at 9-13mm or police dogs at 35-40 mm.

The initial procedure involved removing the pulp tissue by chemically and mechanically debriding the canal with the longest files available. Due to the inflammation present and length of the canal, calcium hydroxide paste was placed in the canal. The tooth was temporarily restored. Three weeks later the canal was re-entered, filled and the tooth received it's permanent restoration.

***His care at the zoo is exceptional, from the early diagnosis to the team of zoo keepers that cared for him pre and post operative. Zoo veterinarians monitored him continuously and his recovery from anesthesia was uneventful.