PITTSBORO, N.C. — Even for some humans, the ideal root canal scenario might involve being unexpectedly darted with a tranquilizer, anesthetized and then released back into the world after it’s all over, oblivious to everything that just happened.

That’s definitely the way to go when dealing with 400-pound cats.

Four big cats — three tigers and a lion — at the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro got much-needed dental work recently courtesy of the Peter Emily International Veterinary Dental Foundation in Colorado. The group of volunteers worked to give the cats, all rescue animals from exploitative or abusive backgrounds, pain-free mouths.

Jessika Morgan, communications coordinator for Carolina Tiger Rescue, said they started with the biggest cats first. That meant Sebastian, a 475-pound lion, was the first to meet the dentist.

Sebastian, who lived chained-up as a prop in a haunted house in Texas before being rescued, had three out of four fractured canines. He was darted and then carried to the quarantine center — it took eight people to move him — where he was anesthetized and given Propofol in an IV..

Each procedure lasted about 3 hours, and it took the cats about 30 minutes to wake up after the sedation. A keeper stayed with them to make sure they were OK. The only time any of the cats at CTR can be touched is when they are under sedation.

Tio, a 16-year-old tiger rescued earlier this year, got three root canals on Saturday because of broken and worn down teeth.

Morgan described Tio as being very social and a tour favorite at the Pittsboro sanctuary, which now has 49 rescue animals.

“Everyone loves him,” said Morgan. “He comes up and says his ‘hello’ chuffle, and he has a great coat color, and he’s kind of chill. He has a big personality, and he’s willing to show his face.”

Morgan said the details about Tio’s living conditions prior to being rescued are unclear. Tio had been declawed, which has caused arthritis.

“When he was rescued and got to his enclosure, he came bounding out like a puppy,” Morgan said. “Maybe he never felt grass before or maybe he never had a den box to sleep in.”

Saber, 7, and Shenandoah, 16, had been exploited in a zoo situation and as cubs had their teeth filed down so far that the pulp was exposed — a very painful situation. They both got root canals. The three tigers weighed in at around 325 to 335 pounds.

The mission of the Emily Foundation, started in 2005 and made a public nonprofit in 2009, is to provide free advanced dental care to exotic animals in underfunded and understaffed sanctuaries. The group so far has treated 432 patients.