Man's tooth pulled out by pliers intrigues researchers

Chris Langston said removing his own tooth was not his "proudest moment"

A man who pulled out his own tooth with pliers after struggling to get an NHS dental appointment has been approached by researchers who are comparing the condition of modern teeth.

Chris Langston from Oswestry, removed the molar last February after enduring, he said, months of agony.

He said an artist working with Queen Mary University had got in touch with a view to creating a 3D scan of the tooth.

He added he was pleased a little bit of himself would be "donated to medical science".

Once scanned, the real tooth is to be returned to him.

He said removing a tooth with pliers was not something he recommended other people to try and "wasn't my proudest moment".

But he said "the pain was unbearable" at the time and removing the tooth had eased it immediately.

Mr Langston's tooth is set to be copied for display by researchers

Professionals have previously warned against people pulling out their own teeth, citing a list of risks.

At about the time Mr Langston went DIY, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak admitted it was "too difficult" to get access to an NHS dentist.

Mr Langston said after pulling out the offending tooth it "went into one of my little jars with beads", adding he had no trouble posting it off.

Hopefully, he added, it would become "a learning aid for people interested in dentistry".

Update 26 February: This story has been amended as Chris Langston was approached by an artist working with Queen Mary University and not by Barts Pathology Museum, as reported in the earlier version of this article.