A man in Denmark has finally got relief from years of an unexplained blocked nose when doctors discovered a tooth inside his nostril.

Doctors were shocked to find the rare condition in the 59-year-old who had been complaining of nasal congestion problems, discharge and a loss of his sense of smell for two years.

Image: The tooth had caused him two years of problems. Pic: BMJ Case Reports

The individual had suffered facial trauma when he was young, which had left him with a fracture to his jaw and nose, but doctors said there was no evidence to suggest repositioning following the incident was connected to the nasal growth condition.

Dr Milos Fuglsang wrote in BMJ Case Reports: "Our patient most likely had the intranasal retained tooth most of his life, but had late onset of symptoms."

Image: A picture taken by an endoscope of the tooth before it was extracted. Pic: BMJ Case Reports

The tooth extraction took place at University Hospital Aarhus in the ear, nose and throat facility.


After a CT scan, the doctors used an endoscope to perform the surgery.

The exact cause of the rare condition is unknown, as only 23 patients have ever been identified, with incidents covering the years 1959-2008.

Image: A CT scan taken by doctors before the extraction. Pic: BMJ Case Reports

Specialists have said it could happen after trauma, infections from a cyst, developmental disturbances like cleft lip or cleft palate, but this case does not have an obvious explanation.

Although the issue can happen in children and adults, reported cases so far suggest it's more common in men.

A month on, the tooth extraction appears to have helped, with no new symptoms reported.