Boy undergoes surgery in Puducherry for removal of toothbrush stuck in throat

14-year-old boy undergoes emergency surgery after toothbrush gets stuck in throat, highlighting importance of safe oral hygiene practices.

The mundane morning chore of brushing the teeth nearly turned fatal for a 14-year-old boy from Kiliyanur, Villupuram district after the toothbrush which was stuck in his throat had to be extracted through a surgery procedure at the Mahatma Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Gorimedu in Puducherry.

According to a press note from the hospital, the boy, whose father is a farmer, was brushing his teeth when his brother playfully patted him on the back of the head, causing the front part of the toothbrush to go completely into the child’s throat.

He was rushed to the Gorimedu hospital by his parents in a life-threatening condition with shortness of breath. A team of doctors led by S.P.K.Kennedy Babu, Dean Dental college and K. Shankar, Head of Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery undertook an emergency surgery to remove the toothbrush stuck in his throat. The incident happened on June 8.

According to doctors, an explorative surgery lasting about 45 minutes was performed under local anesthesia to remove the lodged brush. The patient was kept under observation for a while and discharged the same evening.

In an appeal, Dr. Kennedy Babu advised the public to avoid multi-tasking while brushing teeth, such as driving, using the phone to chat or play games, to help prevent such accidents.

Even a simple toothbrush which is essential to maintain oral hygiene, could cause injury to children if not used prudently. In this case, since the patient was brought at the right time he could be saved; else a swollen oral cavity could have obstructed the airway leading to death, Dr. Babu said.