Rico The Sloth On The Mend After Pioneering Dental Surgery

Rico The Sloth On The Mend After Pioneering Dental Surgery. Rico the sloth has undergone pioneering surgery to take care of a pesky toothache that had been plaguing Chester Zoo's slow-moving mammal. Amazing images captured at Chester Zoo show the moment two-toed sloth Rico willingly clambered in front of an X-ray machine for a once-over. Keepers at the zoo were the first to spot that the 25-year-old sloth had swellings on the side of his face. A series of health check-ups, including a CT scan, carried out by the zoo's team of vets, revealed that Rico had two root abscesses. The three-hour long surgery was conducted inside the zoo's on-site animal care centre where the specialist team removed infected tissue surrounding two of the sloth's teeth. They managed to save the tooth and stop any infection spreading. Dental issues have been known to recur, so Rico has been regularly monitored since the surgery. Unlike a typical root canal, the dental experts went in through the bottom of Rico's tooth, through the side of his mandible. Persuading a sloth to position himself for an X-ray is a process in itself. The team tries to use gentle training techniques. As part of the recall training, Rico has learned that if he touches his nose to the end of a target stick, he receives a reward. This gentle method allows Rico to move into the right place for health checks and procedures like the recent X-ray.