Uni dentists get to root of sloth's toothache

NEWCASTLE University dentists have conducted pioneering surgery on a sloth to cure the animal's toothache.

- By DANIEL HALL Reporter [e-mail]

The university's dental experts were called to Chester Zoo after a CT scan revealed that Rico, a 25-year-old two-toed sloth, had two root abscesses. Dentists worked with the zoo's vets during a three-hour surgery session, which saw them perform endodontic treatment to remove infected tissue surrounding two of Rico's teeth.

Sloths have large, triangular molars with crooked trips specially evolved for their diet of tough leaves and vegetables. The molars are very different to human teeth, which makes dentistry challenging.