Metal mouth…
Brace face…
Tinsel teeth…
Snaggletooth…
Kids can be cruel, which is why most of us shudder at the thought of getting braces. But nobody is making fun of Stormy Woodchuck. His braces are pretty cool, because he may be the world’s first rodent to get orthodonture work!
Every couple of weeks Stormy visits the zoo’s Animal Hospital where Dr. Meehan uses a normal household drummel tool to trim down and notch the sides of Stormy’s lower incisors. Then, stainless steel suture wire is tightly wound around the notches to bring the teeth closer together—just like human braces! After several check-ups, it appears the that the teeth are beginning to straighten. The process needs to be repeated regularly because the teeth grow so quickly, but everyone seems confident that Stormy will avoid the dreaded retainer, night guard, and rubber bands.
There do not seem to be records of any other treatments of this sort for animals other than dogs and cats. But Brookfield Zoo has always done everything possible for the animals in our care. Staff were concerned that the teeth could eventually create problems when Stormy was eating. And of course, there is Stormy’s public image to consider—after all, he is quite used to the spotlight... Woodchucks go by another name—groundhogs. Everyone hopes that Stormy’s teeth will be ready for February 2nd when all eyes will be on the zoo’s resident meteorologist for his weather predictions on Groundhog Day!
Furry Films
Want to see Dr. Meehan's orthodontist office? The video below shows him and Stormy in action---well, actually, Stormy is anaesthetized (drugged) so he is pretty out of it during the whole procedure. Check out Stormy's teeth being filed and braced in the Animal Hospital.
After the procedure, Stormy heads back to his Children's Zoo home.
Note---both videos are large Windows Media file---broadband connection required. If you do not have Windows Media you can download it quickly and easily by clicking on the tile below:
BeFoRe
After
Snaggletooth Stormy
Why would a woodchuck need braces? Being rodents, they have front teeth that continuously grow throughout their lives. As the teeth grow, they are naturally worn down when the animal gnaws on wood and other objects. However, ten months ago Stormy’s bottom incisors began growing in crooked—at almost a 45 degree angle! With the teeth so out of whack, they stopped wearing down on their own.
To fix the problem, zoo veterinarians consulted with Dr. John Sheels, a dentist from Milwaukee who also specializes in animal dentistry. The dentist suggested two solutions. One option was to pull out the teeth, but everyone felt that this would be far too drastic because woodchuck teeth are massive—they go all the way back at the ear, forming a semi-circle under the jaw to the front of the mouth where they exit the gums(only about 10 to 20 percent of the teeth are visible). The alternative was to fit him with a wire “brace” that would hopefully help to straighten the teeth as they grow out.
So, since August, Brookfield Zoo Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Tom Meehan has become a woodchuck orthodontist…
