Orthodontic X-Rays Revealed a Surprise
- Details
- Published: Thursday, 14 August 2025 15:30
- Written by News Editor
- Hits: 950
A routine orthodontic consultation in Wyoming led to an unexpected medical discovery involving a 13-year-old patient.
Georgia (a pseudonym) accompanied her daughter to an orthodontist to initiate treatment for braces. During the examination, the orthodontist reviewed the X-rays and identified an unusual object lodged in the patient’s sinus cavity.
“We were all looking at the screen, trying to make sense of what we were seeing,” Georgia recounted. The object appeared to be a small metallic item, later identified as part of an earring.
The origin of the foreign object was traced back to an incident six months prior. The adolescent had expressed interest in getting a nose piercing, inspired by a peer. Despite her mother’s refusal—citing a minimum age of 16—the teen attempted to self-pierce using an earring from a previous ear piercing.
“She has severe ADHD and was struggling with impulse control at the time,” Georgia explained. “She tried to push the earring through from the inside of her nose. At some point, she must have inhaled it.”
Unaware of the severity of the situation, the teen did not disclose the incident, assuming the earring had passed through her system. It remained undetected until the orthodontic X-ray revealed its presence.
Georgia later shared the X-ray images on Reddit under the username u/Scared_Category631, where the post gained significant attention, receiving over 73,000 upvotes.
Fortunately, the situation was resolved without complications. An ENT specialist, familiar with the patient from a previous tonsillectomy, successfully removed the object using specialized medical instruments. “She experienced no pain and tolerated the procedure remarkably well,” Georgia noted.
Reflecting on the experience, Georgia acknowledged a shift in her perspective regarding body piercings. “She still doesn’t have her nose pierced,” she said. “But maybe this year.”
Image Reddit: username u/Scared_Category631
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report
My comments