dentist

Watch: Ursula the 270-Pound Black Bear Goes to the Dentist

The dental surgery was similar to a root canal

A Massachusetts black bear underwent dental surgery Friday to extract an infected tooth.

Ursula of the Buttonwood Park Zoo was anesthetized for the procedure, which was similar to a root canal, NBC affiliate WJAR reported.

Keith Lovett, the zoo director, said the procedure to remove the canine was no easy feat.

"You're dealing with a bear, in this case she's a 270-pound bear, and she's a tough, tough woman," he said.

The 16-year-old will be closely monitored for the next couple weeks and treated like a human recovering from surgery — with painkillers, antibiotics and soft food.

Ursula has been housed at the zoo since being orphaned in the Virginia wild.

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