# I swallowed a sharp part of my tooth. Could this bite me in the ass later? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931 "2009-01-05T12:20:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/1 "2009-01-05T12:20:36Z")
Title says it all really. I was eating a cookie when I broke a sharp piece off the side of my molar (about 1/3 of the tooth). I didn’t know this until after I swallowed the mouthful, and ran my tongue over the tooth and actually cut it on the sharp remaining edges. So, could this be potentionally harmful when it passes through my system? I’m guessing the swallowed piece is just as sharp as the remaining tooth. Need answer fast, kinda… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/2 "2009-01-05T12:31:55Z")
Unlikely. It won’t be very big, or very sharp, and if it would cause any damage anywhere it would be in the soft tissues of the throat, which it would’ve been cushioned from by the food it was accompanying, and you’d feel it now if it had done anything there. However, a damaged tooth could potentially be a problem for other reasons, not least of which is nerve exposure. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/3 "2009-01-05T13:46:18Z")
**GuanoLad** gave a pretty good answer, so I’ll just use my post to respectfully nominate you for “Best Thread Title Evah” award. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/4 "2009-01-05T15:44:52Z")
Another vote for Best Thread Title - made me chuckle, it did. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/5 "2009-01-05T16:01:04Z")
Your stomach acids will disolve it. But you should see a dentist pronto. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/6 "2009-01-05T23:45:05Z")
Stomach acids dissolve teeth? Ignorance fought if true. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/7 "2009-01-06T00:20:01Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Stomach acids dissolve teeth? Ignorance fought if true. Oh, yeah. Bulimics typically have eroded enamel and more cavities than others. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swallowed-a-sharp-part-of-my-tooth-could-this-bite-me-in-the-ass-later/479931/8 "2009-01-06T00:43:15Z")
I know that, but worded badly. I am thinking about a tooth or a chunk of one actually dissolving on it’s short one-way trip through the digestive tract.