Dentists look to the sky
A team of dental professionals put their heads together to restore the beak of a green aracari named Beauregard from Birmingham Zoo.
The bird, a smaller genus in the same family as the toucan, experienced a beak fracture in an accident that resulted in the loss of a portion of its upper mandible at 3 months old, according to a news article from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. In the following months, Beauregard’s caretakers tried multiple strategies to improve the bird’s quality of life but eventually sought the expertise of a team of dental specialists from the UAB School of Dentistry — including a dental prosthetist, maxillofacial prosthodontist and oral surgeon.
To return Beauregard’s beak to full functionality, the dental specialists used an alginate material to create a physical impression and build a mold of the beak. They subsequently brought the mold to a laboratory where they made a model and used a dental articulator to help develop a prosthetic for the missing portion of the beak. The specialists worked to craft a prosthetic that matched the true shape, weight and unique color pattern of the original beak so that it wouldn’t disrupt the bird’s flight mechanics or social dynamics.
After fitting Beauregard with the prosthetic, the bird’s caretakers observed a return to normal feeding, enrichment toy interaction, flight and social habits.
“It’s not only met but exceeded our expectations,” concluded Beauregard’s caretakers.
Read more: UAB News
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.