For the first time in history: what the largest dental crown in the world looks like (4 photos + 1 video)
Tundra, an Alaskan brown bear who has lived at the Duluth Zoo since he was 3 months old with his brother Banks, has received a new canine crown that is the largest ever created by dentists. 
To make the canine crown, 800-pound Tundra was put under anesthesia and board-certified veterinary dentist Dr. Grace Brown spent an hour working on the unusual patient's mouth.
She had already helped perform a root canal on the same tooth two years ago. When Tundra damaged the tooth again, it was decided to give him a new, stronger crown. The titanium alloy crown, made by Creature Crowns of Post Falls, Idaho, was created for the bear from a wax mold of his own fang.
Brown plans to publish a paper about the procedure in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry later this year.
"This is the largest crown ever made in the world. It should be published," the doctor says.
Tundra is now six years old and stands over 8 feet tall on his hind legs. The animal's massive size required a member of the zoo's trained armed response team to be in the room with a weapon within reach in case the four-legged patient woke up during the procedure
The procedure went very well and without incident, and Tundra is now back in his natural habitat, acting and eating normally.
Tundra is the first bear to receive a full metal crown. This was made possible by a generous donation, as the Duluth Zoo is a nonprofit.
Now the bear is the zoo's star attraction. Zoo staff are inviting visitors to come see Tundra's "historic smile."
