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“That helps us find subtle areas of disease that might
be under the gum line.” Brookfield Zoo’s state-of-the-art
Aurelio Caccomo Imaging Suite is one of the most
advanced in any zoo.
The oral health care animals receive depends on
their species, said Chinnadurai. Some carnivore species
receive treatment similar to that given to dogs and cats.
“They’ll have a full exam when they’re anesthetized.
We look for any signs of calculus or tartar, any signs
of broken or loose teeth.” All that may be required
is scaling or polishing the teeth by a veterinary Animal Training
technician. In some cases, veterinarians remove loose Can you coax your pet to open up for a tooth brushing?
or infected teeth. How do the zoo’s animal care specialists get orangutans
“We also look for lesions in the mouth,” said and sea lions to cooperate? They use positive-reinforcement
Chinnadurai. “Some animals are prone to getting training. Jennifer McGee briefly explains:
small tumors in their mouth and on their tongue.”
Mouth sores can indicate an infectious disease. • Bridge, reward. “Establish a click, whistle, or specific
Gnawing animals, such as rabbits and rodents verbal sound, so the animal understands that when it
have continuously growing incisors, said Chinnadurai. hears this noise something positive happens—it gets
“We pay close attention to their length and shape and a favorite toy or a special food treat, for example.”
trim those down. If those teeth overgrow, it becomes • Baby steps. Break a behavior down into a series
very difficult for an animal to chew and be healthy.” of small steps. When teaching an animal the open-
The teeth of some large ungulate species, such mouth behavior: “Make sure it’s comfortable with
as rhinoceroses and Przewalski’s horses, can sometimes your hand near its face and the edge of its mouth.”
grow in abnormal ways, said Chinnadurai. “We do Then make sure it’s comfortable with having its mouth
an additional technique called ‘floating.’ We have touched. Then move on to touching or holding its
specialized tools to level out their teeth and put them teeth. When it’s relaxed, slowly and gently push
back into a normal configuration.” its mouth open.
Some procedures require advanced techniques our
veterinarians would not perform, he said. To provide • One step at a time. An animal should master a step
this care, the zoo has worked with dental veterinary before moving on to the next. “When you start to
specialists, particularly board-certified veterinary dentist, feel it relax, bridge and reward.” An animal may need
Dr. Stephen Juriga of Veterinary Dental Center in multiple training sessions before it masters one step.
Aurora. “They mainly do endodontics—procedures • Practice regularly. The grey seals and sea lion groups
done on the inside of the tooth—primarily root canals,” have three to four training sessions a day, said McGee.
said Chinnadurai. “They help us with complicated “You can still make progress with one session a day
extractions, to remove a diseased tooth, for example. or five sessions a week.”
With some carnivore species, those extractions can
be challenging to do.” • Be patient. Even with multiple training sessions
As painful as an extraction or root canal sounds, a day, teaching a sea lion to open its mouth takes
animals are often much more comfortable after the several weeks.
procedure, said Chinnadurai. “They’ve been dealing • Have fun! “Most animals seem to enjoy training.
with a condition that might have been painful and And it strengthens the animal’s bond with the owner.”
they’ve been masking it for weeks or months. Removing
an infected tooth, or clearing out painful or infected
tissue during a root canal, makes them quite comfortable
immediately afterward.”

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