£18,000 Damages for Dental Drill Bit Lodged in Lung

A woman has obtained compensation after a dental drill bit fell to the back of her throat during a routine appointment and became lodged in her lung.

She was initially told that she had swallowed part of a filling and that it would pass through her digestive system without any problems. However, she received a phone call from the dental surgery later that day informing her that she had actually swallowed a fitting bit for a dental drill.

She attended A&E, where an X-ray showed that the drill bit had entered her lung. She was kept in an observation room and advised to remain still due to the risk of rupturing her lung. She was awaiting transfer to another hospital for a complex operation when she began to turn pale and experienced a violent coughing fit, during which she brought up the drill bit.

Although she made a full physical recovery, she experienced ongoing psychological symptoms, including nightmares and intrusive thoughts about the incident. After she brought a claim against the dental surgery, psychiatric evidence was obtained indicating that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The dental surgery denied liability and made an offer to settle the claim for £3,000. This was rejected, and a settlement of £18,000 was subsequently agreed.