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 inhaling a tooth that fell out during sleep, causing severe coughing and choking episodes. Upon arrival at the Meuhedet urgent care clinic, Dr. Moatasem Natsha suspected a foreign body in the respiratory tract and ordered a chest X-ray, which 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.

The girl's father reported that she woke up with intense coughing and chest pain, and they noticed a missing upper front tooth. Dr. Natsha explained that the symptoms initially resembled an asthma attack, but the missing tooth combined with respiratory distress prompted further investigation. He noted that while swallowed teeth usually enter the stomach, in this rare case the tooth was inhaled into the airway during sleep.

Medical staff emphasized the critical importance of prompt medical attention for unusual respiratory symptoms to prevent life-threatening complications such as airway obstruction and infections. Dana Bar-On, director of the Meuhedet urgent care center in Jerusalem, highlighted the readiness of community emergency services to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment in coordination with hospitals. The successful outcome underscores the value of accessible, professional urgent care in the community.