Ectopic eruption: This man's tooth was growing in his nose

In the scientific journal The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors report the case of a patient whose tooth did not grow in the right direction. The problem was such that the patient complained of breathing difficulties. His unruly tooth had to be removed during surgery.

Ectopic eruption

The dental problem faced by this 38-year-old American patient is known as an 'ectopic eruption.' NCBI describes this rare phenomenon:

A condition in which the permanent teeth, because of deficiency of growth in the jaw or segment of jaw, assume a path of eruption that intercepts a primary tooth, causes its premature loss and produces a consequent malposition of the permanent tooth.

In this case, his tooth had gone astray, and found its way to his nostril! And as you can see in the picture below, the result is not the most appetizing.

A tooth in the nose

The patient had been suffering from breathing difficulties for several years. After scanning his jaw with X-rays, the doctors quickly understood why and proceeded to remove his stubborn tooth. The operation went smoothly and the wound healed properly. He can now breathe again without fear of biting his nose!