Tools of the trade?

For those who have visited the dentist recently, you probably still marvel at the pointy, metallic things that they use, articles that seem to have been recommended by the Marquis de Sade as implements for proper dental surgery and appear to be the original items.

But, we’d like to safely assume that the local members of the dentists association that have modernized a bit aren’t breaking out the chain saws. That’s what dentists hired by the Oregon zoo had to do in order to treat a patient in the elephant park at the zoo. Tusko the elephant had an infected tusk and the only solution was to extract it. The process featured a number of items that are not a part of your normal trip to the dental chair, at least you hope.

Using a chainsaw, handsaws and a drill that can punch through concrete, veterinarians and a dentist took five hours to remove the majority of the infected tusk, leaving a small ring the size of a roll of duct tape, which will have to wait six weeks before it can be removed from Tusko, if the elephant is wiling.

For your next visit, perhaps keep an ear open from the waiting room. If you hear the tell tale pull sound of a chainsaw firing up, you may wish to begin looking for second opinions.