Boris the polar bear hits the dentist chair at Washington zoo

TACOMA, Wash. -- Boris the 29-year-old polar bear is eating only soft foods for a while after having surgery to remove three broken or decayed teeth at a Washington state zoo.

The 880-pound bear who lives at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, didn't actually have to sit in a dentist's chair for the procedure. Boris sprawled out on a table as veterinarians and support staff extracted his problem teeth Friday.

The zoo says Boris is one of the oldest polar bears in North American zoos. He's lived nearly twice as long as polar bears in the wild.

Boris came to the zoo in 2002 after he was rescued from a traveling circus. He's one of three polar bears at the facility's Arctic tundra exhibit.

On its Facebook page, the zoo said Boris "should get an extra large payday from the tooth fairy tonight!"