Dentist tool broke off in patient's mouth

A New Zealand teen suffered pain when a dentist tool broke off during root canal treatment, but he only found out about the mistake from another dentist.

The instrument broke off in the patient's root canal, but the dentist never told the teen and didn't write it down in clinical records, an NZ Health and Disability Commission report found.

The boy, aged 16-17, began to feel pain and the dentist treated him three further times, attempting to remove the instrument.

But the dentist never told the boy the reason for the treatment, the options available, or the risks involved - even when the boy and his parents asked directly about the reason for the re-treatment.

The boy found out about the mistake only when he went to another dentist for a second opinion.

The report found the dentist breached the health code by failing to let the boy know about the mistake, failing to keep him informed and failing to keep proper records.

The dentist has now been referred to the Director of Proceedings who'll decide whether further action should be taken.