Elephant
An eleven year old African bull elephant fractured one of his tusks causing a pulp exposure. Examination under general anaesthetic revealed a purulent discharge, but it was found that pulp necrosis only penetrated to a depth of 40 mm.
The pulp was resected to a healthy base and after sedative dressings were placed on the pulp surface a restoration was cemented inside the canal to prevent recontamination and encourage the deposition of reparative ivory to block off the exposure.
No signs of postoperative pain has been reported and the animal is not giving the tusk special attention.
It is expected that as the tusk wears naturally the implant will be lost and it very much hoped that by that time a healthy ivory bridge would have closed the pulp exposure under the nylon plug.
Follow up of 5 months has demonstrated tusk growth of approximately 8 mm per month and the restoration is still in place as illustrated in the final photograph below.
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Photo: Penny Boyd |
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 Photo: Rachel Saunders |
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