Indian woman has to surgically remove toothbrush stuck in mouth after slipping while brushing

The brush was stuck in a way that did not allow Ekamai Revathi to open her mouth and scream for help

Representational: Ekamai Revathi, 34, who resides in Kanchipuram city of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, slipped in her bathroom on 4 March with a brush inside her mouth (Getty Images)

An Indian woman had to go through surgery after a plastic toothbrush was stuck inside her cheek when she slipped and fell while brushing her teeth.

Ekamai Revathi, 34, who lives in Kanchipuram in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, slipped in her bathroom on 4 March with the brush in her mouth, reported media outlet News18.

She fell sideways, which led to the plastic brush piercing through her cheek.

The brush was stuck in a manner that Ms Revathi could not open or close her mouth or scream for help.

While half of the toothbrush had pierced through Ms Revathi’s cheek, parts of it were stuck in the dental cavities of her mouth, said the News18 report.

She was found on the ground by members of her family, after which she was rushed to the local government hospital in Kanchipuram.

On 5 March, Ms Revathi was given anaesthesia and operated upon.

The surgery, which involved cutting off the portion of the toothbrush that had pierced her cheek, was successful.

Ms Revathi is currently in a stable condition, according to local media reports.

This is not the first time a toothbrush-related injury has been reported in India. In 2020, a man from the eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh accidentally swallowed a toothbrush.

The brush had to be taken out with the help of minor surgery.

Doctors from a university from India’s western Nagpur city had also recently warned toothbrush injuries were on the rise, though most occur among children who play while brushing their teeth.