Woman Uses Toothbrush To Stop From Choking Before It Backfires

Brushing your teeth doesn't only prevent plaque and tooth decay. Having your toothbrush close by could save your life. A 21-year old woman reportedly swallowed her toothbrush after using it to remove a piece of food stuck in her throat she was choking on.

The toothbrush quickly went from hero to the villain after the mishap. Thankfully, everything ended up okay.

Heizea, who's from Spain, said she was eating turkey when she began to choke. Struggling to breathe, she was able to grab her toothbrush and force the turkey out of her throat. However, she went a little too far and ended up swallowing the 8-inch toothbrush, according to NY Post.

According to Heizea, she had to act fast because she was alone and didn't have anyone around to assist her. According to Newsflash, she said, "My dad couldn't help me because he's stuck in a wheelchair with a damaged Achilles tendon, so I decided to help myself by using the toothbrush."

Heizea went on to say, "Because it was only getting worse, I grabbed the first thing I could get hold of which was the toothbrush to try to dislodge it."

After swallowing the toothbrush, she was rushed to the hospital. During the time she reportedly said she experienced no pain. I have to imagine it was incredibly traumatic, though. I know I'd be freaking out and panicking.

After hours of examinations, surgeons were able to get the toothbrush out during a 40-minute procedure. No surgery was required as doctors were reportedly able to fish the toothbrush out using surgical twine.

After recovering, Heizea said, "I woke up with the toothbrush next to me on the bedside table. I was just glad I could breathe again."

Personally, after an incident like that I'm switching to an electric brush. Something that I can't accidentally swallow. You have to look at that thing twice a day (if you're listening to your dentist). That seems like it would be traumatic to see twice a day every day and be reminded of that awful experience. Ouch!

See a photo here!

Would you be traumatized by this? Let us know in the comments!