# What if I had swallowed this?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-had-swallowed-this/544376>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 24, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-had-swallowed-this/544376 "2010-06-24T17:12:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-had-swallowed-this/544376/21 "2010-06-30T17:50:34Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> Makes no difference - most of the water molecules on this planet will have been pissed out by some creature or other, at some point during the history of the planet. Come to think of it, most of the carbon, hydrogen and other elements in every bit of food we consume has probably been shat out by something in the past, maybe over and over lots of times.

True, but it’s a lot easier for me to avoid something that came out of my own ass than it is to avoid water.

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**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-had-swallowed-this/544376/22 "2010-06-30T18:11:23Z")

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A guy I knew in school became a fakir and used to chew and swallow razor blades (besides swallowing swords). No tricks. Insurance companies would not accept him. I saw him again in good health when he was passed 70.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-had-swallowed-this/544376/23 "2010-06-30T19:59:14Z")

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> [@Wilbo523](#):
>
> It was too heavy to flush. He took it in to his dentist, who sterilized it and refit it back into his mouth.

Get out! Are you joking or did this happen?

😕

> [@Cub\_Mistress](#):
>
> Hah! My son passed a golf tee through his GI system with no harm to the tee or to him. He was an adult when he managed to swallow it.

OK, I’ll ask.

How did he swallow a tee as an adult? What happened?

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-had-swallowed-this/544376/24 "2010-06-30T20:21:55Z")

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> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> Get out! Are you joking or did this happen?
> 
> 😕

I can’t speak for that particular case, but from what I’ve heard it’s pretty standard practice to reuse recovered crowns. They’re expensive to make, and sterilising them is cheap and effective (they are inert and non-porous, so can easily be cleaned).

[How to Recover a Swallowed Dental Crown](http://www.ehow.com/how_5004249_recover-swallowed-dental-crown.html) (advise not reading while eating peanut butter)

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