LUTZ, Fla. -- A local dentist is making sure that wild animals are also taking care of their pearly whites.
- Dr. William Geyer is cleaning animal patient's teeth
- Geyer has performed dental procedures on more than 19 different species
- Most of his work is done at Busch Gardens and Lowry Park Zoo
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People are not the only ones who want pearly whites. Dr. William Geyer has spent decades helping animals maintain good dental health.
"The first animal I ever worked on was in 1984 for Lowry Park Zoo," Geyer said. "One of their tigers had fractured some canine teeth and they needed a dentist and they called me."
Geyer has performed dental procedures for more than 19 different species, including gorillas, bush babies (or galago), kangaroos and hippos.
While he originally began treating animals for the Lowry Park Zoo, Geyer now spends most of his time working with Busch Gardens. His office is filled with "Thank you" cards from his animal patients.
Geyer doesn't charge fees for his services. He says that it is a two-way street.
"They don't charge me to do it. Because I would be more than happy to pay (them) to let me do this," said Geyer.
The dentist has been bitten in the past; more specifically, by a sloth. However, he says that it was more of a nip.
"I wasn't fast enough to move out of the way of a sloth," Geyer jokes.