A BOY was left with his front teeth lodged in his NOSE after a horrific waterslide accident on a family holiday.
Louis Richards, 13, was enjoying a week-long break in Antalya, Turkey, with his mum, nan, and cousin, when he suffered the dental disaster.
The youngster, from Bridgend, South Wales, was left covered in blood after he smashed his face into the waterslide in the hotel pool.
The impact thrust his front teeth up towards his nose, where they were uncomfortably lodged after the freak accident in August 2019.
Louis worryingly faced losing his adult teeth and was forced to undergo a gruelling operation at a dental surgery in Turkey – while he was awake.
His mum Kelly Griffiths told how she had headed back up to the room when the kids her son had been playing at the pool with knocked on her door and explained "Louis had knocked his front teeth out."
"Louis and some other kids had been climbing up the waterslide after the water had been turned off," she said.
"His friend had made it up and had reached out his hand to pull Louis but he couldn't grab it and fell flat on his face.
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"His cousin, Mason, had carried him to the showers and there was blood everywhere.
"When I got down there they were already rushing him through in to the doctors room at the hotel and 40 minutes later we were on our way to hospital."
Kelly was eventually sent to the emergency dentist with her 13-year-old, who was then seen by an oral surgeon.
But the former dental nurse was concerned her young son could lose his adult teeth after the traumatic accident.
"His teeth had been pushed all they way up into his nasal cavity, so it looked like he had a broken nose," Kelly added.
"Having been a dental nurse, I knew exactly how bad this could be, and it only made me worry more. These were his adult teeth so I knew he was at risk of losing them."
Dental medics in Turkey repositioned and splinted Louis' teeth as part of the gruesome op – all while he was awake – while his loved ones feared he had lost his perfect smile.
Kelly continued: "They gave him five injections of local anaesthetic and they cut his gum open and pulled the teeth back down and had them positioned by the splint.
"I think he was just in shock, in this country he would have been put to sleep.
RESTORING HIS SMILE
"The holiday was ruined after that, and we were only on day two. We just wanted to come home," she said.
"Louis couldn't do anything, he couldn't eat or drink properly and he couldn't go in the pool."
After returning from their hellish holiday and exhausting various treatment options for Louis, the teen was eventually referred to a UK dental expert.
Dr Rohini Mohan, Swansea Bay University Health Board’s clinical lead for community dental services, took on Louis' case and restored his smile.
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She applauded the teen's bravery during treatment while revealing his amazing results despite the complex case have proved an inspiration to other patients.
Dr Mohan said: "The pictures of Louis have been inspirational to show other children who have suffered a trauma that you can come through it.
"It helps their parents as well. The worst can happen, and you can still come out with a beautiful smile."
Louis' loved ones praised the dental team for helping him regain his confidence as well as the formation of his teeth.
"Dr Rohini and her team were absolutely amazing," Kelly said. "I can't thank them enough for everything they've done for Louis."
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