A recent case in eastern China has raised concerns about dental procedure safety. According to the South China Morning Post, a man surnamed Huang, underwent an extensive dental procedure on August 14 at Yongkang Deway Dental Hospital in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. The procedure involved extracting 23 teeth and inserting 12 implants in a single day using the “immediate restoration” method. Two weeks later, he suffered a sudden heart attack and died on August 28. The case was brought to light through an online post by his daughter Shu on September 2. 

Huang revealed that her father, whose age has not been disclosed, experienced persistent pain following the treatment. ”I never thought my dad would pass so quickly. He did not even get the chance to drive the new car we bought him,” stated his daughter.

In response to the incident, an official from the Yongkang Municipal Health Bureau stated on September 3 that the cause of death is still being investigated, citing the 13-day gap between the dental procedure and the man’s death. 

Three days later, a clinic staff member told SCMP ”We will not be responding to this matter now as it has been handed over to our lawyer. If there are any updates, we will issue a statement; however, the investigation is ongoing.”

According to Xiang Guolin, director of the Dental Medicine Centre at the Hospital of Universal Love in Wuhan, there are no established official guidelines for the maximum number of teeth that can be extracted in a single procedure. However, in general practice, the limit is typically considered to be around 10 teeth. 

”Extracting 23 teeth is quite a lot. It requires a clinic and dentist with sufficient qualifications and experience. It’s also essential to consider the patient’s physical capacity to handle such an extensive procedure,” he said.

Many social media users expressed shock and disbelief upon learning about the case. One person questioned the decision to extract 23 teeth in a single day, sharing their own experience of being refused by a dentist when requesting the removal of two wisdom teeth simultaneously. 

Another user wrote, ”I’m a dentist, and I never extract more than three teeth at one time unless they’re very loose. The doctor must have lost his mind. It sounds more like a human experiment than a dental procedure.”

In a tragic incident that highlights the devastating effects of overwork, a 30-year-old Chinese man died from organ failure after a gruelling 104-day work stretch with only one day of rest. According to the South China Morning Post, the man identified as A’bao, who worked as a painter, contracted a pneumococcal infection leading to his death in June 2023. Notably, A’bao had entered into a contractual agreement with a company in February last year, committing to work on a project until January of this year.

Following the signing of the contract, A’bao was assigned to a work project located in Zhoushan, a city in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. He then embarked on an exhausting work schedule, working every day for 104 consecutive days from February to May last year, with only one day of rest on April 6. On May 25, he finally took a sick day, feeling unwell and spending the day resting in his dormitory. However, his condition rapidly deteriorated, and by May 28, he had to be rushed to the hospital by his colleagues. Doctors diagnosed him with a lung infection and respiratory failure. He died on June 1.

After his death, his family filed a lawsuit against his employer, alleging gross negligence. The legal action came after social security officials controversially ruled that A’bao’s death could not be classified as a work-related injury, citing the timing of his death as the reason. However, his family argued that the prolonged period of excessive work and lack of rest contributed directly to A’bao’s death. 

Meanwhile, the company also claimed that A’bao’s workload was reasonable and that any additional hours worked were voluntary. Further, the company shifted the blame to A’bao’s pre-existing health conditions and alleged that his failure to seek timely medical attention aggravated his situation. 

However, a Chinese court ruled in favour of the painter’s family, holding A’bao’s employer 20% liable for his death. The court found that A’bao died from multiple organ failure due to a pneumococcal infection, often linked to a weakened immune system. The court also determined that A’bao’s prolonged work period of 104 consecutive days was a blatant violation of Chinese Labour Law, which explicitly stipulates a maximum of 8 working hours per day and an average of 44 hours per week. 

The court awarded A’bao’s family a total of 400,000 yuan (approximately Rs 47,46,000) in compensation, comprising financial reparation and a separate sum of 10,000 yuan for emotional distress. Though the company appealed, the original verdict was upheld in August.