Dennis Kucinich Settles Over 'Dangerous' Olive Pit Sandwich

The Daily Beast, Friday, January 28, 2011, 3:22pm (PST)

The saga of the dangerous olive pit-filled sandwich seems to be winding down. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who has a long track record of getting what he wants in life -- be it a hot young vegetarian wife or money for a treacherous meal -- has settled his case against the Longworth House Office Building cafeteria, which served him a sandwich that split his tooth in half. He announced the development in a statement detailing his dental heroism.

"Although the pain was excruciating, I shook it off and I went right back to work," he writes in the press release. He also clarifies that "this was not about aesthetics" and shares lots of cringe-inducing tidbits about the resulting infection, which went all the way to the bone, ultimately requiring the replacement of six teeth (not covered by health insurance).

The Democrat from Ohio acknowledges that he'd rather the media focus on other matters, but since everyone has been clamoring to know the details, he felt compelled to share them with us.

Thank you Rep. Kucinich for reminding us to watch out for olive pits next time we're eating on the Hill. If you're interested in the entire letter, here you go:

Dennis Kucinich: Regarding Settlement of Dental Injury Lawsuit

Friday, 28 January 2011

Though I would prefer to focus your attention on my work dealing with the profoundly important issues that face our nation, such as job creation, getting the economy back on track, and ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - -it seems that some are more interested in discussing my personal dental issues. Given the degree of public interest you should know some details:

This injury required nearly two years, three dental surgeries, and a substantial amount of money to rectify.

The legal action you have heard about was filed due to the severity, expense and duration of the dental injury, the complications which followed and which still persist. I wanted to resolve this matter without filing a lawsuit. The events below involved numerous dental visits, more than are detailed in this summary. The dental injury set in motion a chain of dental and medical events.

When I bit into the olive pit, (unbeknown to me at the time), upon impact the tooth split in half, vertically through the crown and the tooth, below the level of the bone. Externally there was no evidence of a break. This was not about aesthetics. The internal structure of the tooth was rendered nonrestorable. Although the pain was excruciating, I shook it off and I went right back to work.

This tooth is a key tooth which anchored my upper bridgework . The injured tooth and the bone above it became infected. I took a course of antibiotics for the infection, had an adverse reaction to the antibiotics which caused me to have an intestinal obstruction and emergency medical intervention.

Later, my dentist referred me to a specialist who informed me that the damaged tooth had to be removed. A third dentist removed the tooth and I was fitted for a temporary partial. I waited for the bone to heal. An implant was placed, but it failed. Many months later still a second implant succeeded. My bridgework had to be completely reconfigured, a new partial was designed, so this injury did not affect only one tooth, but rather involved six (6) replacement teeth as well. A new crown with a new precision attachment was engineered and put in place. To clarify, no dental expenses were covered by any health plan, nor did I have dental insurance that covered the injury, which, until it was resolved, affected my ability to chew food properly.

The clamor for information about this incident requires that I provide at least this much information. I would have liked to provide such details sooner but did not want it said that I was trying the case in the media. So that is why I declined any interviews about the matter. The parties have exchanged information and after some investigation and discussion have resolved the matter for an amount all parties believe reflects the actual out-of-pocket expenses related to this incident. The terms of the settlement are confidential; however, I feel that the defendants have responded fairly and reasonably. I don't want to have to make another dental visit for a very long time, and will be making no further comment on this matter.

Thank you very much.

Dennis