Dave Burros never dreamed his career could be so much fun. After fourteen years and thousands of root canals, he still can’t wait to tell you how much he loves his job. That’s especially so when he gets to work on “unusual” or “difficult” cases. One in particular stands out in his mind.

“I did a root canal on a polar bear on May 27, 2005. VIEW HERE

Dave talks about the experience as if it happened only hours ago. As life often goes, Dave was in the right place at the right time when the opportunity to work on this

unusual patient came along.  A zookeeper at Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo asked Dave and a friend of his to help him with a “special case”. The zoo’s polar bear had a chipped tooth that was turning black. So, on Memorial Day weekend with a 690-pound bear under anesthesia, Dave and his friend, an oral surgeon, set out to save that tooth.

“It was one of the neatest things I’ve ever done,” Dave says. “We were really freaked out about the possibility that she might wake up.”  If she had, Dave would probably have said something funny…and she would have laughed herself back to sleep.
Watch HERE

As you might have guessed, Dave is known for his humor and easy-going nature. He makes a habit of having fun with his patients. “I talk them through the procedure with a little humor here and there…give them a running commentary as I go along,” he says.

Away from the office, Dave devotes himself to his family and church. He and his wife, Suzy have two children – a daughter who works at his office part-time, and a son with whom he likes to fish for bass.

But Dave’s greatest passion is missions work in Mexico with people from his church. He says he’ll go wherever he’s needed. He’s committed to put God first in his life, at home and in the office. .

“I believe that my Creator put me on this earth for His purpose. He’s given me talents to use for Him while I’m here…even if it’s on one of his furry four-legged creatures.”

If it has to do with water, I’m there!