Dentists Give MN Tiger 4 Root Canals

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) –- Dentists from across the country came to Minnesota Saturday to perform multiple root canals on a 15-year-old Bengal tiger named Titan.

Titan's four fangs, which are about as long as a human finger, needed root canals. While all 500 pounds of Titan's bulk lay unconscious on the operating table, the dentists worked on all four teeth simultaneously.

They also worked fast, because they had only three hours to complete the procedure. Fortunately, for Titan and the dentists, the procedure was a successful and completed within the time limit.

Titan is one of 129 residents at a compound for big cats called the Wildcat Sanctuary, located near Sandstone, Minn. Titan is a rescued tiger who came the sanctuary undernourished and suffering from dental disease.

The Peter Emily International Veterinary Dental Foundation made the procedure possible.