Grandfather’s ‘terrifying ordeal’ after crown gets lodged in his lung during dental appointment

Paul Thorpe hopes patients will be better protected in future

This gold crown became lodged in Paul’s right lung restricting 60 per cent of the air flow (Collect/PA Real Life)

A retired RAF navigator and grandfather, who was left needing emergency surgery after a gold crown became lodged in his right lung during a dental appointment, said he hopes the practice is better prepared in future after he was awarded £4,500.

Paul Thorpe, 58, who lives in Doncaster with his wife, Gillian, 58, a retired teacher, was booked in for an emergency dental appointment in March 2021, during the national lockdown, after a filling fell out.

However, halfway through the appointment, Paul was terrified when he started coughing and struggling to breathe.

Paul knew that something was amiss and after his appointment he rushed to A&E, and was horrified when an X-ray revealed his gold crown had become lodged in his right lung and the grandad of two needed emergency surgery.

Traumatised, Paul, who is now fully recovered, reported the dentist and took legal action to ensure this terrifying ordeal would not happen to anyone else – and he was awarded £4,500 in compensation.

“I never expected anything like that to happen,” said Paul.

You don’t expect to be in hospital after a routine visit to the dentist

Paul Thorpe

“Ending up in hospital for emergency surgery with the doctors telling me there is a chance of death was very frightening.”

When a filling had been continuously falling out causing recurring infection, Paul was booked in for an emergency appointment during the national lockdown in March 2021 to have the filling fixed.

“I went to the dentist and they put a temporary filling in and it would fall out,” he explained.

“That went on for the best part of a year along with numerous infections. The dentist said we would have to take it out, but obviously with Covid, getting an appointment was really difficult – but I managed to book one in for March.”

However, halfway through the appointment, Paul started coughing and struggling to breathe, but the dentist insisted everything was fine, continuing the procedure.

“I suddenly pushed him away and jumped up and started coughing,” said Paul.

(PA Real Life)

“I was struggling for breath and spluttering everywhere. The dentist said ‘just calm down, have a glass of water.’

“This happened two or three times because I couldn’t breathe. I kept telling him I’m struggling to breathe, something’s not right.

“But then I moved my tongue around my mouth and I said ‘I can’t feel my gold crown’, which had been attached to the tooth next to the one being extracted.

“But the dentist said it will probably pop out the other end in a few days.”

Paul knew something was amiss, raising his laboured breathing with the dentist again, who wrote him a prescription for an X-ray at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

“But once I got to the hospital the nurse informed me the dentist wasn’t authorised to write a prescription for a chest X-ray – only a doctor can say what action needs to be taken,” said Paul.

“So I was told to go down to A&E to see a doctor.”

Thankfully, Paul was able to get his much-needed X-ray but was horrified when medics revealed his gold crown was lodged in his right lung.

“I was shocked,” he said.

“It was restricting 60 per cent of the air flow. I was told the only way to get it out was under general anaesthetic.”

(PA Real Life)

Rushed for emergency surgery at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, Paul’s gold crown was removed.

“It was during Covid so my wife Gillian couldn’t come with me,” explained Paul.

“She was petrified, it was hard for her. You don’t expect to be in hospital after a routine visit to the dentist.

“I was lucky in that I’m a relatively young individual. But it could have been completely the other way.”

However, the grandad was terrified that this could happen to someone else.

“The dentist phoned me once I was home from surgery,” explained Paul.

“He said he just didn’t know what to do. That just got me even more, I might say annoyed or angry, but surprised that this kind of thing isn’t part of their risk assessments.

“I thought that this can’t be right. But what can we do to make sure that this doesn’t happen again to anybody else?”

The reason I did this is for the dentist to make sure that he's better prepared. I don’t want anything like this to happen again

Paul Thorpe

Contacting the Dental Law Partnership, Paul took legal action, hoping to make sure no one else would have the same ordeal.

“They took care of everything,” he said.

“My biggest thing was dentists should know what to do when these kinds of things happen.”

Over the next 18 months, Paul’s recovery was slow and though his lung recovered well, Paul’s teeth became continually infected.

“The next time I sat in a dentist chair I was extremely nervous,” said Paul.

“Just walking into the dentists wasn’t very pleasant. After my surgery I got a massive infection in the socket area where my tooth was. It was a massive gaping hole, it’s been constant pain.

“I had a lot of pain in that area from infections. I think it’s probably been only in the past few months where the whole area is going back to normal.”

In December 2022, the dentist involved denied liability but further analysis by the Dental Law Partnership revealed significant failure to use reasonable care and skill before, during and after the procedure.

The case was successfully settled and Paul was awarded £4,500.

I was lucky in that I'm a relatively young individual. But it could have been completely the other way

Paul Thorpe

“I haven’t even thought about the money,” said Paul.

“The reason I did this is for the dentist to make sure that he’s better prepared.

“I don’t want anything like this to happen again.”

Now Paul is fully recovered and hopes that his terrifying ordeal makes dentists think twice when removing fillings.

“I hope this makes the practice review their risk assessments,” said Paul.

“So if it does happen again they know what to do and can maybe even prevent it from happening.”