A SHOCKED Mottingham woman, whose dentures came out and lodged in her throat hours after being fitted, was told by hospital staff the gaffe could have ended in tragedy.

Jenny Wise, 50, was told she might need an emergency tracheotomy by staff at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup after the plate lodged in her chest.

Earlier, after she told the dentist the plate felt loose, he agreed but said it would be “okay”.

The problems began when home-alone Mrs Wise had a glass of water after the plate was fitted and immediately started choking.

She explained: “I was absolutely terrified I've had a triple heart bypass operation, and I couldn't breathe. The plate was lodged in my throat but I managed to call 999.”

An ambulance crew arrived but was unable to help as the sharp clips of the plate dug into Mrs Wise's oesophagus.

She was then rushed from her Mottingham Road home to Queen Mary's where she was told how severe the problem was.

“They told me if I'd eaten anything I could have died because the plate and the food would have been trapped in my throat. But they were amazing all the staff.”

Mrs Wise was then taken by ambulance to the Ear, Nose and Throat Centre at Farnborough Hospital where the obstruction was removed under anaesthetic.

But now she is considering legal action against the dentist whose work could have proved fatal.

“I'm furious, as you can imagine. I went in for some simple dental work, and within an hour I'm in danger of choking to death or having a heart attack. I can't describe how scared I was before the ambulance turned up, but I'd really like to thank the staff at the hospital.”

A spokesman for the British Dental Health Foundation said: “This simply shouldn't happen. From our point of view it means the clip wasn't fitted properly.”

A spokesman from Queen Mary's Hospital said: “Mrs Wise's condition required urgent treatment.

“Fortunately, we were able to diagnose it quickly and send her for treatment.”