11-Year-Old Girl Inhales Fallen Tooth Into Lung, Undergoes Emergency Surgery in Jerusalem

An 11-year-old girl from Jerusalem was rushed to a community urgent care center after experiencing severe coughing fits and choking sensations. The symptoms began after she lost a front upper tooth during sleep. Upon examination, Dr. Moatasem Natsha, a specialist at the Meuhedet urgent care center in Jerusalem, suspected a foreign body in the respiratory tract and ordered a chest X-ray. The imaging revealed the tooth lodged near her right lung.

The girl was immediately transferred to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where surgeons successfully removed the tooth in an emergency operation. Her father reported that she woke up with intense coughing and chest pains, alongside the missing tooth. Dr. Natsha explained that while swallowed teeth usually enter the stomach, in this rare case the tooth was inhaled into the airway during breathing in sleep.

Medical staff emphasized the critical importance of prompt medical attention for unusual respiratory symptoms to prevent life-threatening complications. Dana Bar-On, director of the Meuhedet urgent care center in Jerusalem, highlighted the readiness of emergency teams to quickly identify and treat such emergencies in coordination with hospitals. Doctors warned that foreign bodies in the respiratory system can cause airway obstruction, infections, and lasting lung damage if not treated swiftly.

The successful outcome underscores the vital role of accessible and professional urgent care services in the community, ensuring rapid diagnosis and intervention in rare but serious cases like this one.