CHINESE WOMAN DIES IN HOSPITAL PLUNGE AFTER TOOTH EXTRACTION BLUNDER CAUSES ‘IMMENSE’ PAIN
Doctors remove wrong tooth then stuff rogue denture back in place using wire, leading 'healthy' woman's face to swell up
A woman in China who suffered ongoing pain after having the wrong tooth extracted then reinserted has been found dead after plunging from a hospital roof.
The 34-year-old woman, surnamed Wu, from Anhui province in eastern China, underwent a wisdom tooth extraction at the Anqing Municipal Hospital on March 12.
The hospital, founded in 1938, is known for its dental department, and is key facility in the city.
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Doctors mistakenly removed a healthy tooth then forcibly stuffed the incorrectly extracted tooth back in place.
Wu's brother told the mainland media outlet Jimu News that the doctor used wire to tie the wrong tooth along with several others.
"For an hour and a half of the surgery, they did not use anaesthesia, and my sister endured it," he added.
As a result, Wu's teeth were damaged, her face swollen, and she was unable to eat, only managing to drink water for days. The pain also kept her up at night.
Her brother said Wu had reported the issue to the authorities several times, but no one responded.
Wu also shared a tearful video on social media, recounting her painful experience.
She said the doctor apologised after realising the wrong tooth was removed but later denied his mistake when she returned to the hospital to confront him.
Wu accused the doctor of altering her medical records to avoid blame and suggesting a dental implant to "save the tooth".
She also said that the hospital repeatedly asked her to delete the video.
In the video, Wu said: "No one really addressed this incident. The hospital lied to me from start to finish, causing me immense suffering. Who will save me? Because of the harm this hospital caused, I will die here."
On March 17, Wu returned to the hospital to negotiate the matter, but later fell from the 11th floor, resulting in her death.
Wu's husband told China Newsweek that the police had ruled out any criminal charges.
One of Wu's relatives said she was generally in good physical and mental health.
"Wu had repeatedly reported the issue to the hospital and authorities, but nothing was done. This broke her psychological defences, and she said she would use death to prove her innocence," the relative said.
Wu's family has rejected the hospital's offer of 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) in compensation and demanded to see surveillance footage of the rooftop plunge.
Hospital staff confirmed that the doctor involved has been suspended, and that both the health commission and police are investigating the matter.
A dentist unconnected with the incident said that the wrong tooth extraction was due to an error in the doctor involved's judgment, which is rare and qualifies as a medical accident.
Lawyer Zhu Xue from Beijing Celue Law Firm said that if the doctor is found responsible for the medical accident, the hospital would be liable for civil compensation and could face administrative penalties.
The story has made headlines on mainland social media, amassing more than 100 million views.
One online observer said: "Tooth pain can be unbearable. Just imagining Wu's situation is terrifying."
"Though death is not the right answer, I hope the law can clear Wu's name," said another.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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2025-03-24T06:11:52Z
