In the Mouth of the Beast
/Dr. Zachary Legan volunteers his expertise at the Little Rock Zoo
By Tony Basso
Dr. Zachary Legan loves animals, especially his favorite pups, Maverick (Dachshund) and Hazel (German Shepherd). photo by shane darby.
When asked about our days, many of us might reply that “work was a zoo.” Dr. Zachary Legan, an oral surgeon at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Northeast Texas, takes pride in his office’s calm atmosphere, where he can help patients “in a way that is not anxiety-provoking,” he said. But, some days, Zachary’s passion pulls him to work at a literal zoo—specifically the Little Rock Zoo, where he treats animals experiencing dental pain or disease.
Zachary, a native Texan and the son of an orthodontist, set out to follow in his father’s footsteps. After earning his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, he obtained a dental degree from the University of Tennessee and a medical degree from Louisiana State University. Following his residency in Shreveport, Zachary joined Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Northeast Texas as a surgeon in Texarkana. A few years after he and his wife established their roots in the twin cities, Zachary was presented with a unique opportunity at the intersection of passion and profession.
“I’m a big-time animal lover; I always have been. I’ve always loved taking care of animals.”
In 2021, Zachary’s colleague, endodontist Dr. Sandra Shambarger, invited him to join her on a trip to Little Rock Zoo to help a few animals in need.
“She mentioned that she was going to the zoo; I told her I’d love to go with her if she needed anybody,” Zachary said. “Sure enough, she said she’d be happy to have an oral surgeon, someone who could take out teeth, as some bear teeth are three inches long.”
Zachary said that he has performed work on bears, big and small cats, otters, and chimpanzees, among other animals. “We will be working on a lion shortly,” he shared excitedly.
Despite a difference in size and species, Zachary said that performing dental work on zoo mammals is strikingly similar to performing work on human patients, minus the convenient reclining chair and human-sized tools.
Dr. Sandra Shambarger, Dr. Zachary Legan, Angie Satterfield, and Ashley Daniel volunteer at the Little Rock Zoo. submitted photo.
“We usually start like we would on anybody who came into the clinic,” he explained. “We do a clinical exam and assess the teeth and the gums, and then we’ll take a full series of dental x-rays. Then Sandra and I will decide what we think needs to be done and which one of us should do each part. Then we tackle it.
“It’s all general anesthesia, so [the animals are] all intubated,” he continued. “They have a tube, and they’re on a ventilator breathing for them, and they’re on a table, which does make it tough. Especially for some of the bigger animals, like bears, positioning is essentially impossible. You’re just kind of over this table, and the bear’s on its side because you can’t lay him on his back, and you’re just trying to get a good view.”
Though large mammals are tricky, Zachary admitted that the smallest creatures are the most challenging patients. “It’s tough to get into their mouths and work,” he said.
Dr. Zachary Legan and Angie Satterfield perform oral surgery on a patient at the Little Rock Zoo. submitted photo.
Through their volunteer work at the zoo, Zachary and Sandra have been able to make a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of animals in need. Sometimes, that impact has even been life-saving.
“We worked on a cheetah one time that was losing a bunch of weight, and they didn’t know why,” Zachary said. “It turned out to be just a bum tooth. Sandra performed a root canal on it. That cheetah snapped back to health, and two weeks later, it was eating well again. I think they thought this cheetah was about at the end of its life, and then it was just like a whole new lease on life after we worked on it.”
Zachary’s interest in animal wellbeing is nothing new.
“ I’m a big-time animal lover; I always have been,” he said. “I grew up on a farm with 60 or 70 cattle, horses, goats, pigs, and all sorts of stuff. I’ve always loved taking care of animals.”
When not volunteering at the Little Rock Zoo, Zachary continues to practice oral surgery at North East Texas OMS in Texarkana. He is proud of his office’s team and their work.
The team performed a root canal on this cheetah, saving it from going hungry. submitted photo.
“Our entire staff has been with us for five-plus years, and nearly half have been with us 10 years or longer,” he said. “When you call our office, you’re going to get a human being who has been in our office for a long time, lives in the community, and cares about why you’re calling.”
Zachary said that, while he gets immense satisfaction from helping zoo animals in distress, he is most fulfilled by providing relief and comfort to his human patients.
“Most patients aren’t coming to see us because they want to; it’s usually a problem, and they’re uncomfortable and scared,” he continued. “The most rewarding thing about oral surgery is the ability to quickly manage someone’s pain or problem.”