A father-of-six who was “terrified of needles” now resembles the “Elephant Man” after a dentist’s needle broke deep in his mouth during a procedure, causing permanent nerve damage.

Joe Woolen, 41, a HGV driver from Medway, Kent, said he had not been to the dentist since he was 13 because of his phobia of needles.

But he booked an appointment at the Vale Dental Clinic, in north London, in 2021 after experiencing an “unbearable toothache” which kept him awake for two days.

After making an appointment with Dr Rajarajeshwari Krishnamurthy at the Golders Green practice, he said he was informed that the tooth would need to be removed at the end of July that year.

On the day of the tooth extraction, several anesthesia injections were administered, followed by a block injection to numb her mouth. But Mr Woolen noticed the dentist and her assistant were “fumbling around” as they couldn’t find the needle at the end of the syringe.

The next morning he received a call telling him to go to A&E immediately. At the hospital, an X-ray showed that the 2.1 cm needle was lodged in the back of his mouth, on the right side of his face, next to his jaw.

Mr Woolen then underwent an operation to remove the needle before finally having the tooth extracted.

But the incident caused permanent nerve damage – meaning he can’t feel the lower right side of his face, causing him to water and bite his cheek and lip without realizing it.

Joe Woolen, 41, a HGV driver from Medway, Kent, said he had not been to the dentist since he was 13 due to his phobia of needles (pictured left before the incident ). The anesthetic needle broke at the back of his mouth and caused permanent nerve damage – meaning he can’t feel the lower right side of his face, causing it to run and biting her cheek and lip without realizing it (photo after the needle caused nerve damage). )

“I haven’t been to the dentist since I was 13 because I didn’t like needles, and when I finally did, this happened,” Mr Woolen said.

“Then I had nightmares for months, literally waking up, sweating and screaming – my wife and kids were scared.

“I kept waking up thinking I was swallowing needles, it was horrible.” I’m never going back (to the dentist) – I’m done, I’m leaving.

Recalling the moment the dentist couldn’t find the syringe, Mr Woolen said: “They couldn’t find the end of the syringe, the needle, and then they searched my mouth. It was like a vet trying to help a cow give birth – that’s what it felt like.

“They had pushed it so far that it broke, and she just sent me home and told me she was going to refer me to an oral surgeon in case (the needle) was always in my head.”

When the surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital in Crawley saw her X-ray, he was in “complete disbelief” that the needle was fully lodged in her gum.

“The hospital staff couldn’t believe it; they were literally queuing up to look at that x-ray,” Mr Woolen said.

When the surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital in Crawley saw her X-ray, he was in “complete disbelief” that the needle was fully lodged in her gum.

The father-of-six has since been awarded £17,000 in an out-of-court settlement – ​​although the dentist involved has not admitted liability.

“They were laughing because they had never seen anything like it. The surgeon said, “I can’t believe this is real.”

“But when the surgeon finally called me, he explained that because there was a foreign body in my head, they were worried about sepsis.”

Mr Woolllen then underwent an operation under general anesthetic to remove the needle, which he said involved making more than 100 small incisions in his gum to “try to find the needle”.

He said this led to severe facial swelling and left him with permanent nerve damage.

“My whole throat and one side of my head were swollen. I looked like Elephant Man,” he said.

“I lost all feeling in my lower jaw…and I’m dribbling now. I bite my cheek and my mouth bleeds and I don’t even notice it because I don’t even feel it.

“It shook my self-confidence significantly.”

Mr Woolen said the hospital surgeon who removed the needle advised him to contact specialist dental negligence solicitors, the Dental Law Partnership, in August 2021, who took on the case shortly After.

The practice said the dentist should have recommended immediate admission to the emergency room rather than allowing Mr Woolen to wait until the next day for further advice, which could have reduced the severity of his problems.

The case was successfully settled in July 2024 when Joe was awarded £17,000 in an out-of-court settlement – ​​although the dentist involved did not admit liability.

Mr Woolen said he was pleased with the settlement, which will most likely be used to fund this year’s family vacations and Christmas presents for his children.

Although Joe is frustrated that the dentist involved failed to admit liability, he said he is “pleased with the decision” and wants to “move on as quickly as possible.”

He added: “I just pray to God that I don’t have to do any more work.”

In response, Dr Krishnamurthy said in a statement: “I would like to clarify that I do not agree with the facts reported by the Dental Law Partnership, but I cannot provide details on the treatment and management of this patient because of my professional duty. to protect the confidentiality of my patients.

“This claim was resolved through an amicable settlement, with no admission of liability on my part.

“I pride myself on providing the highest standards of treatment and care to all of my patients, and I have always done my best for that patient.”