A man in England who was left with permanent nerve damage after a dental needle broke in his mouth while he was getting anesthesia was awarded a settlement of 17,000 pounds ($21,279 U.S.), according to multiple news reports.
Joe Woollen, 41, who has always feared needles, visited Dr. Rajarajeshwari Krishnamurthy at the Vale Dental Clinic in London in 2021 due to an unbearable toothache. He was told the tooth needed to be removed.
On the day of the extraction, Woollen underwent several anesthesia injections and a nerve block. During the procedure, the patient claimed the dentist and an assistant were looking around the room because the tip of a syringe was missing, according to stories.
The next day Woollen was allegedly told to go to the hospital and get an x-ray, which showed a 2.1-cm piece of a needle was entirely lodged in the soft tissue at the back of his mouth on the right side of his face. The lodged needle left him with severe facial swelling and permanent nerve damage, according to the stories.
To remove the needle, Woollen underwent an operation, which he said required 100 small cuts in his gums to locate the needle. Also, he had the original tooth extracted.
The clinician who removed the broken needle reportedly said the incident could have been avoided if the dentist had used reasonable care, according to the stories. Despite the settlement, the dentist did not admit liability.
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