Overview

• Tundra has resumed normal feeding and behavior in his habitat two days after receiving the custom crown.
• The June 23 procedure at Lake Superior Zoo involved fitting a custom titanium alloy crown, the heaviest ever made for an animal tooth.
• It marked the first U.S. dental crown operation on a brown bear, with Scott Alexander of Creature Crowns crafting the oversized piece after other manufacturers declined.
• Grace Brown and a 14-person team completed the hourlong operation under sedation rather than general anesthesia to reduce transport and cardiac risks.
• The zoo spent about $15,000 on the procedure, and Brown intends to publish the full case study later this year.