Dad left with 'ticking time bomb' in belly when 'dentist drops drill tip down throat' during routine filling

Dad-of-two Scott Pearson, whose work mates now call him 'drill bit', received £16,500 compensation Picture: Kennedy News & MediaDad-of-two Scott Pearson, whose work mates now call him 'drill bit', received £16,500 compensation Picture: Kennedy News & Media
Dad-of-two Scott Pearson, whose work mates now call him 'drill bit', received £16,500 compensation Picture: Kennedy News & Media | Kennedy News & Media
Scott Pearson says he felt something land in the back of his throat just before his dentist began drilling to replace a filling

A dad claims a routine filling left him with a 'ticking time bomb' in his belly - when the dentist 'dropped a drill tip down his throat'.

Scott Pearson says he felt something land in the back of his throat just before his dentist began drilling to replace a filling. The 34-year-old tried coughing but says a 2cm-long drill tip had already slid down his oesophagus, leaving the medic 'panicked' but blase Scott told her not to worry. Staff reportedly said the attachment should pass naturally but when they informed his GP the doctors called Scott and ordered him to rush to A&E the same day.

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The 'panicked' train driver was relieved when an X-ray showed it wasn't worryingly lodged in his lung but it was passing through his digestive system instead. Scott checked for the drill bit after he went to the toilet every day and attended Chesterfield Royal Hospital for scans every two weeks to see where it was. He says online research convinced him the thin tip was dangerously stuck but medics repeatedly brushed it off until he insisted on a scan to check if he was right.

Nine weeks after the accident in October 2022 medics confirmed his suspicions and carried out a 'life-saving' appendectomy to remove the drill bit and stop it puncturing his appendix, which could have been fatal. Scott says 'it's a relief it's finally over' and believes the tip could have killed him had the 'ticking time bomb' been left in his appendix for any longer. The dad-of-two, whose work mates now call him 'drill bit', received £16,500 compensation in an out-of-court settlement but claims the practice hasn't apologised or admitted fault. He also had to pay £5,000 in legal fees.

The 'panicked' train driver was relieved when an X-ray showed it wasn't worryingly lodged in his lungThe 'panicked' train driver was relieved when an X-ray showed it wasn't worryingly lodged in his lung
The 'panicked' train driver was relieved when an X-ray showed it wasn't worryingly lodged in his lung | Kennedy News & Media

Scott, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: "A trip to the dentist is supposed to be dull but this definitely wasn't. The dentist was about to start drilling at my temporary filling but as soon as she put the drill over my mouth I felt something land at the back of my throat. I tried not to swallow so I sat up and tried to cough but by that time it had fallen down my throat. It mustn't have been on properly.

"The panic didn't set in at first because I didn't understand the severity of it so I just told the dentist not to worry about it. She was panicking a lot more than I was. I did start panicking when I was told to go to A&E but luckily the chest x-ray showed it wasn't in my lungs. It showed up straight away on the abdominal scan so they said it was likely it would pass naturally.

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"It felt like I was walking around with a ticking time bomb inside me and I had to inspect every bowel movement I had. I was worried it was sharp and it was going to perforate my intestine so I didn't know whether I should be at work driving a train full of people. It would have been a matter of time before that would have caused a big problem like causing my appendix to rupture. That's life-threatening.

"It was a traumatic thing to go through because it was very worrying and stressful so it was a huge relief when it was finally over. Before it had all happened if someone had said I'd give you £11,500 to go through this I would have said no. I understand everyone's human and everyone makes mistakes but there's a degree of responsibility when you have a certain job, like I do in mine. You can't afford to make mistakes."

Scott says the night of the accident he had felt 'twinges' in his stomach so he returned to hospital only to be turned away when he tested positive for Covid. He doesn't recall feeling the drill bit inside him after that but says he suspected it was stuck when he ate whole sweetcorn pieces as a test and excreted them without any issue. Scott claims that after doing his own research and seeing a similar case online, he told doctors at Chesterfield Royal Hospital he believed it was lodged in his appendix 11 days after the October accident.

However he says it wasn't until December that they checked. He is keen to emphasise the importance of speaking out if you don't feel medical staff are addressing your concerns.

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Scott said: "It was really annoying at the time. When they told me it was in my appendix I said that I'd been saying this for the past seven weeks. This proves that if you're pretty confident about something and you're getting fobbed off then be more stubborn and push them a bit."

Scott, who has been advised to see a therapist, says he is on a three-year waiting list to move dental practices so has had to keep visiting his old one for check-ups every six months. He claims they even booked him in with the same dentist upon his first appointment back but he complained and was given another. A spokesperson for Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: "Mr Pearson was reviewed and scanned regularly to monitor the placement of the foreign body (ie the drill bit) until it reached his appendix which was removed on 4 December 2022.

"We can confirm all relevant quality care procedures were followed, and on reviewing the notes Mr Pearson reported experiencing no pain, bowel problems or vomiting. We continue to wish Mr Pearson well following his speedy recovery."

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