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Bai Yun's Tooth

Posted by Jeroen Jacobs | Date: 2014 09 11 | In: San Diego Zoo
Meg Sutherland Smith, associate director of veterinary services at the San Diego Zoo, used a light to seal a dental composite during a restorative dental procedure on giant panda Bai Yun this morning at the San Diego Zoo. The dental procedure was needed after keepers noticed a chip in one of Bai Yun’s lower canines. After a dental exam was performed and X-rays taken, the Zoo’s veterinary team proceeded to repair the chipped tooth on the anesthetized panda. A dental composite was used to fill in the damaged tooth, which was then cured with a light to seal the filled part of the tooth. After the tooth was smoothed and cleaned, the veterinary team performed a dental cleaning and took some images of Bai Yun’s teeth. Since giant pandas use their teeth to chew and break apart bamboo, their teeth can get worn or damaged over time. Giant pandas such as Bai Yun, now 23 years old, can spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo, which is the primary source of their nutrition.

Meg Sutherland Smith, associate director of veterinary services at the San Diego Zoo, used a light to seal a dental composite during a restorative dental procedure on giant panda Bai Yun this morning at the San Diego Zoo. The dental procedure was needed after keepers noticed a chip in one of Bai Yun’s lower canines. After a dental exam was performed and X-rays taken, the Zoo’s veterinary team proceeded to repair the chipped tooth on the anesthetized panda.
A dental composite was used to fill in the damaged tooth, which was then cured with a light to seal the filled part of the tooth. After the tooth was smoothed and cleaned, the veterinary team performed a dental cleaning and took some images of Bai Yun’s teeth.
Since giant pandas use their teeth to chew and break apart bamboo, their teeth can get worn or damaged over time. Giant pandas such as Bai Yun, now 23 years old, can spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo, which is the primary source of their nutrition.

A dental procedure was performed on Bai Yun on September 10, 2014 by the San Diego Zoo veterinary service staff.

Ina Saliklis, a public relations representative for San Diego Zoo Global, tells us the story:

I was fortunate enough to attend and watch! The whole experience was fascinating to observe, and I was impressed at how diligently the San Diego Zoo’s veterinary team cared for and treated our beloved Bai Yun.
The reason for the procedure was that keepers had noticed there was a chip in one of Bai Yun’s lower canines. As most of you know, giant pandas use their teeth to chew and break apart bamboo, tearing apart the stalks to look for the culm (soft, inner tissue of the bamboo). A chip such as the one in Bai Yun’s canine isn’t uncommon, especially for a panda of her age. Remember: she just turned 23!

In order for the veterinary team to get a close look and perform a dental exam, Bai Yun needed to be taken to the San Diego Zoo’s Jennings Center for Zoological Medicine. Once Bai Yun was anesthetized at the Giant Panda Research Station, she was carefully transported to the on-grounds veterinary hospital so staff there could get a closer look at the canine in question. They performed a dental exam and took some X-rays of the chipped canine tooth, after which they concluded that a restorative procedure could be done to fix the tooth. A warming blanket kept Bai Yun’s body temperature at a comfortable level. Surrounded by all of the vet team members and their equipment, I was surprised that she seemed smaller to me than when I see her in her exhibit. Crazy, huh?

Dr. Meg Sutherland-Smith, who is our associate director of veterinary services, filled in the chipped part of the tooth with a dental composite and then used a special light to cure the composite. Dr. Sutherland-Smith noted that originally they had some concerns that the pulp canal of Bai Yun’s chipped canine had been compromised, but she was happy to report that it wasn’t compromised after all, and she noted that the restorative procedure should help prevent any further chipping or deterioration.

After the dental procedure was completed, a veterinary technician performed a dental cleaning on all of Bai Yun’s teeth and then assisted as Dr. Sutherland-Smith took a few images inside Bai Yun’s mouth with a specialized dental camera. Bai Yun was then transferred into a panda transport cage, which allowed her to wake from the anesthesia while still being in the veterinary hospital’s treatment room. Veterinary staff closely watched as Bai Yun woke up, monitoring her breathing and vital signs throughout the process. I checked in with our panda team a few hours later to get an update on Bai Yun. The team reported that Bai Yun was doing great and was comfortably resting back in her own bedroom suite.

Watching this dental procedure was such an incredible experience. It showed me firsthand how hard our animal care teams work to care for our animals at the San Diego Zoo.

Source: San Diego Zoo

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