Abstract
Diverse dental problems are frequently reported in wild and managed-care odontocetes,1-4 including in orcas5-10. Among the most common dental issues, crown wear by erosion (chemical wear causing demineralization) and abrasion (mechanical wear of non-dental origin) are often observed. For many years now, an intensive preventive dental care program has been in place for the killer whales housed at Marineland Côte d’Azur, France. This preventive care program consists of dental hygiene, erosion prevention, and abrasion prevention. To ensure good daily dental hygiene, flushing of the crowns, gum and oral vestibules is carried out twice a day using 0.05% chlorhexidine applied using a specifically designed system in order to achieve mechanical cleaning and disinfection. Dental x-rays are taken once a year, making it possible to follow the physiological closure of the pulp canals, and to detect possible anomalies of the roots or alveolar bone early. To prevent erosion of the crowns, the teeth are brushed with remineralizing toothpaste daily after the chlorhexidine flush, using a soft brush. To strengthen the enamel, a fluoride varnish is applied every three months. Every month—except when varnish is used—a fluoride gel is applied on the crowns, allowing the varnish and enamel to be recharged with fluorine ions. Given the use of fluorinated products, the serum fluoride concentration is monitored twice a year in the animals. To limit abrasion, a composite was applied to protect the rostral mandibular crowns; new layers of composite are applied once or twice a year when necessary.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Orca Keeper Team of Marineland Côte d’Azur, France, for their unconditional professional care of the animals, Franck Eveillard, and Melanie Oesterwind.
*Presenting author
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