Getting a 394-pound lion into the dentist's chair was easier than Dr. Shannon Griffin thought.

The Edmond dentist volunteered to make a house call Tuesday to the Oklahoma City Zoo to treat Aslan, an 11-year-old lion. Zoo officials called in the expert after noticing the animal had bad breath, was slobbering more and appeared to be in pain.

The dentist said she had prepared for everything, even a root canal, but the treatment needed turned out to be a simple procedure.

Zoo staff put the lion under anesthesia and the dentist, who hadn't worked on animals since she treated cats and dogs in dental school, removed a 3-inch piece of bone lodged in the lion's mouth. While Aslan was down, the zoo crew also cleaned his teeth. Griffin said it was similar to working on her human patients.

"Your teeth are teeth and gums are gums," she said. "I didn't need magnification, that's for sure."

Griffin added, "He needs to floss."

Zoo staff examine the animals regularly and normally don't require the skills of a human dentist, said Tara Henson, director of zoo marketing and public relations. The zoo also has called upon "human doctors" to assist with medical conditions from heart problems to leukemia, she said.

"Aslan is doing fantastic," Henson said Wednesday. The lion was eating normally, and his keepers were thankful for his fresh breath, she said.

Source: Nathan Altadonna, The Oklahoman
Contact: Tara Henson, Zoo Public Relations
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