Most days at the doctor’s or dentist’s office are just that: typical days at the office. Even in emergency dental care offices and emergency rooms, most emergencies, though unexpected, are common ones. Every once in a while, however, a rare case arises that leaves medical professionals scratching their heads. Here are some of the oddest dental stories, collected from dentists and oral health professionals on Reddit, a social media forum, and from news stories around the world.
Fake Tooth Substitute
A cosmetic dentist recounted the time a patient visiting the office complained about a lost veneer. That wasn’t the actual problem, however. The patient had used fake fingernails, specifically a French-manicured nails, and super glued them to her teeth.
Not Wisdom Teeth
One man visited a dentist complaining that his mouth tasted like chicken soup. He thought his wisdom teeth were coming in, because he also had inflamed gums in the back of his mouth. When the dentist set to work, however, it became clear that new wisdom teeth weren’t the cause of the man’s problem. A chunk of chicken bone was stuck in the man’s gum, causing an infection and the inflammation.
Celebrity Teeth
TMZ reported in 2012 that a celebrity dentist, Bill Dorfman, keeps the teeth he’s extracted from celebrities. The dentist told the celebrity gossip website that he keeps the teeth in the hopes of one day selling them on Ebay. Dr. Dorfman recanted his tale shortly after TMZ aired the story.
Tooth for Sale
Though Dr. Dorfman backtracked on selling the teeth of his celebrity patients, the practice of selling the teeth of the famous isn’t unheard of. In 2012, a dentist in Alberta, Canada bid and won John Lennon’s tooth. The Canadian dentist spent $31,000 to secure the tooth of the former Beatle.
Eye Teeth
Surgeons removed two teeth growing in a woman’s eye in southern India. The 23-year-old woman was born with an abnormal eye, which doctors eventually realized was related to a tumor growing in her eye. When surgeons removed the tumor, they discovered two perfectly formed teeth inside it. It’s not unusual for tumors to grow teeth-like hard tissues, but perfectly formed, fully grown teeth are very rare.
Ear Tooth
In Hong Kong, a 10-year-old removed one of his baby teeth while at school. A 10-year-old losing a tooth isn’t news, but having to later have a doctor remove the same tooth from an ear is! News reports don’t say why the student shoved his tooth into his ear, but a surgeon later had to remove the tooth.
So Many Teeth
In 2014, doctors in India removed 232 teeth from the jaw of a teenager. Parents and doctors originally feared the 17-year-old had some form of cancer. He had a large swelling on the right side of his jaw that was causing pain. However, doctors determined the swelling was due to complex composite odontoma–basically a benign tumor that causes to the gums to make teeth.
Presidential Teeth
When the leader of the free world is ill, it can cause a panic. That’s why when doctors diagnosed as cancer a bump on President Grover Cleveland’s mouth, they hatched a plan to remove it without media attention. Cleveland was spirited away on a yacht in New York Harbor, where 6 doctors removed the cancer during a 90-minute procedure. He stayed aboard the yacht for four days, before disembarking to heal at his summer home in Cape Cod.
In emergency dental care and emergency rooms, doctors and dentists see fairly common injuries. Every once in a while, however, doctors and dentists discover a rare or unusual emergency or issue.
