20.05.2025 22:30
A 41-year-old man living in Istanbul woke up with a severe cough and shortness of breath. When he looked in the mirror and noticed that two of his recently placed teeth were missing, he rushed to the hospital.
A 41-year-old individual named E.Ö. living in the Küçükçekmece district of Istanbul, according to the information obtained, woke up last month with shortness of breath and severe coughing, and when he looked in the mirror, he realized that the two teeth he had fitted were missing.
HE SWALLOWED HIS TEETH IN HIS SLEEP, RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH UNBEARABLE COUGHING E.Ö. immediately went to a hospital in Bakırköy, and when he explained the situation to the healthcare workers, imaging procedures were performed. It was found that the two teeth were located in the patient's left bronchus, and he was referred to Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital for a bronchoscopy, a medical procedure that allows for the diagnosis and treatment of problems in the airways using a camera.
THE TWO TEETH HE SWALLOWED WERE SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED After examinations conducted by Associate Professor Dr. Efsun Gonca Uğur Chouseın and his team from the Chest Diseases Department, the procedure was performed. The two teeth were successfully removed from where they were located, and the patient was discharged after treatment. Dr. Chouseın explained what should be done in cases of foreign body ingestion, while E.Ö. recounted his experiences. Meanwhile, the moments when the teeth were removed were captured on camera.
"IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS SLEEPING AT NIGHT" E.Ö. explained that he woke up with a severe cough, saying, "It happened while I was sleeping at night; when I got up in the morning to go to work, I noticed shortness of breath, and then I went to the hospital. An X-ray and CT scan were performed, and it was determined that there was a foreign object in my left bronchus. I didn't realize it; it happened while I was sleeping at night. Let's say it was meant to be; what can we say, there are worse things, I would recommend being more careful. I had two teeth that were not permanent, which I needed to eat, and I swallowed them," he said.
"HE WOKE UP WITH SUDDEN SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND SEVERE COUGHING" Speaking about the patient's condition, Dr. Efsun Gonca Uğur Chouseın stated, "He woke up suddenly with shortness of breath and severe coughing in the early morning. He went to the nearest external center, and based on the patient's complaints and the thoracic CT scan, they suspected a foreign object. The first thing that raises suspicion about foreign bodies in patients is the patient's account, complaints like shortness of breath and coughing, but sometimes patients may not even be aware of a foreign object that was ingested years ago. In these patients, we first perform a routine normal chest X-ray. If we have a higher suspicion, we definitely perform a thoracic CT scan and a tomography without administering medication intravenously. For example, our patient here had a finding suggesting a white foreign object in the left bronchial system. Sometimes there can be patients with foreign bodies that require urgent intervention, and we quickly take our patients to the operating room. We perform the procedures under general anesthesia using special steel tubes called rigid bronchoscopy. If such a foreign object is not removed, in the future, the air that the patient breathes in and out will not be able to enter and exit healthily due to the foreign object, leading to persistent shortness of breath. Over time, the lung parenchyma (the flexible and air-filled part of the lungs) that remains behind may not be able to ventilate, leading to pneumonia. Ultimately, a disease that causes permanent dilation in the bronchi, known as bronchiectasis, could develop, which often leads to infections in patients. Additionally, foreign bodies lodged in major bronchi, like in this patient, can be surrounded by granulation tissue, which can sometimes completely obstruct the lung's ventilation. After these procedures, our patients' respiratory complaints completely resolve, and sometimes even in patients who present late, if there are newly developed structural changes, they can completely heal over time. Our patient will return to his normal healthy days very quickly," he said.
"THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE FOR THIS PATIENT" Continuing his remarks, Dr. Uğur Chouseın stated, "We most frequently encounter needle aspiration. In recent years, we have also started to see the materials used during dental implant procedures frequently entering the lungs. In addition, we often encounter foreign bodies such as peas, beans, olives, and cherry pits that contain small particles. If we see and witness that a nearby person has aspirated a foreign object that we think is very hard, sharp, and will not harm the airways, we can perform the Heimlich maneuver by standing behind the patient, holding them by the waist, and shaking them, but we should not insist on this too much. If we insist, the foreign object inside can move much further away. If we push too hard, we may damage the patient's trachea. In such a case, if we do not succeed after a few attempts, we should take our patient to the nearest emergency center. This patient aspirated two teeth, and due to their weight and size, even if this maneuver could be performed, it would not be effective as it would not easily pass through the vocal cords. I recommend that if our people have persistent coughs that do not go away and suspect that a foreign object has entered their lungs, they should consult a chest disease specialist. I especially advise that small toys or food items with small particles should not be given to young children who are not very conscious, and if they must consume a food item, it should be given in a controlled manner. In elderly patients with poor general condition, swallowing functions may also be impaired, and we can sometimes see foreign body aspirations in them as well," he expressed.