Later this month, dentist Paul Cassar, is taking time out from his practice in Chichester to fly to India to perform pioneering surgery on rescued dancing bears. Cassar of Grange Dental Surgery is a trustee of the charity International Animal Rescue (IAR) which rescues bears from the streets of India and rehabilitates them in a sanctuary in Agra, near the Taj Mahal. Paul and Lisa Milella, a vet, are both volunteering their time to carry out root canal treatment on the bears. They will also be training Indian vets at the sanctuary to treat other bears with similar problems in future. It was discovered only recently that some of the bears at the rescue centre were suffering from deep cavities where their teeth had been broken. Dancing bears in India have their teeth broken off with a hammer when they are only young cubs to make them easier to control and protect their handlers from being bitten. The remaining roots become inflamed and infected, causing intense pain, but are left untreated by the Kalandar nomads who use the bears to beg money from tourists. Cassar has gone to great lengths to research how best to treat the bears and to acquire the specialist tools for the job. 'I've had to learn a whole new set of skills to prepare for the surgery on the bears, and I've been practising by operating on the mouths of dogs like bull mastiffs which have the closest canine equivalent to the mouth of a sloth bear,' says Cassar. 'I've also managed to get hold of essential veterinary dental equipment which we have sent over in advance. As an IAR trustee, I'm keenly interested in the charity's work, and I'm delighted at this unique opportunity to really make a difference to the bears by using my own professional skills and experience.' www.iar.org.uk.