10 Shocking & Stomach-Churning Finds Made in the Mouth

We typically don’t expect to see much when we look inside our mouths other than our tongue, teeth, and gums. And naturally, the most “foreign object” we’d expect to find would perhaps be some food leftover from our last meal or snack. While that’s usually true, given that there’s not much to see with the untrained eye, these news stories showcase mind-blowing accounts where strange things have been found inside both human and animal mouths.

From bizarre items, scientific discoveries, and tragic turns of fate, here are ten shocking and stomach-churning finds made inside the mouth. But beware, some of these stories are not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach!

Related: Top 10 Grossest Facts About Human Skin

10 Raccoon with Meth Pipe in its Mouth Found During Traffic Stop

At approximately 7:15 p.m. on May 5, 2025, Summit County, Ohio, police conducted a traffic stop that led to an absolutely wild encounter. Not only did the vehicle have picket fences on the front and back passenger side rather than windows, but the vehicle owner—55-year-old Victoria Vidal—had an active warrant and a suspended driver’s license. Vidal was detained without incident, but the traffic stop got even more bizarre from here.

After Vidal was detained, an officer returned to the vehicle only to discover Vidal’s pet raccoon, Chewy, sitting on the driver’s seat with a meth pipe in its mouth. While the officer removed the pipe from Chewy’s mouth, he discovered another pipe in the raccoon’s hand. Naturally, the sight prompted a search of the vehicle, which led to the discovery of approximately 7.15 grams of crystal meth, 0.10 grams of crack cocaine, and several pipes.

Vidal was charged with F3 possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and was cited for driving under suspension. As for Chewy, Vidal did have the proper paperwork to own the raccoon as a pet, so the animal was placed in the care of a family member.^[1]

9 Inmate Suffers Horrific Fate in Confinement

On June 12, 2022, 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson of Winter Haven, Florida, was arrested in Georgia for misdemeanor simple battery. However, because Thompson was unable to post the $2,500 bail needed, he was held at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta and later transferred to the psychiatric wing of the jail due to mental health issues. Unfortunately, the three months Thompson spent in custody would be far worse than any punishment handed down by the criminal justice system.

On September 13, 2022, Thompson was found dead in a dirty jail cell, his body riddled with insects and bed bugs. Thompson’s cause of death was initially listed as “undetermined.” His family, who claimed they were unaware that Thompson was in custody until jail officials contacted them about his death, began a public outcry for justice and a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family went on to pursue their own independent autopsy of Thompson, but sadly, the new autopsy revealed Thompson’s death to be “one of the most deplorable in-custody deaths in the history of America.” During his three months of incarceration, Thompson—who weighed 180 pounds (81 kg) upon arrival—had lost approximately 18% of his body weight, weighing only 148 pounds (67 kg) at the time of his death.

The toxicology report was also found to be negative for medications prescribed to Thompson for his schizophrenia, with him having received the last dose of his medication 32 days before his death. Even more disturbing, Thompson’s hands, feet, fingernails, and toenails were filthy; he had over 1,000 bites, and insects were found in his mouth, ears, nose, and across his body. Ultimately, Thompson’s death was deemed a result of severe neglect evidenced by untreated schizophrenia, poor living conditions, poor grooming, extensive and severe body insect infestation, dehydration, and rapid weight loss, which led to a fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat requested and received resignations from three executive staff members at the jail. Multiple investigations were opened by agencies such as the Atlanta Police Department, the Office of Professional Standards, and the United States Department of Justice regarding Thompson’s death, as well as the conditions at the jail. On August 2, 2023, Fulton County Commissioners voted unanimously to award Thompson’s family a $4 million settlement regarding his death.^[2]

8 More Than 500 Teeth Found in Child’s Mouth

An unidentified 7-year-old boy, who had long complained of having a swollen and aching jaw, was taken to the Saveenta Dental College and Hospital in Chennai, India, in July 2019, after his parents began to fear that his swollen jaw might be the result of cancer. There, an X-ray of the boy’s mouth revealed a “well-defined bag-like mass” nestled in the molar region of his lower jaw. While his swollen jaw wasn’t the result of cancer, what was discovered within his mouth was much more shocking.

The sac, which weighed 7 ounces (198 grams), was surgically removed from the boy’s mouth and contained hundreds of miniature teeth—526 to be exact—ranging in size from 1 mm to 15 mm. So, how exactly did he end up with such an abundance of teeth? The young boy, unfortunately, was suffering from a very rare condition called composite odontoma, a developmental anomaly where benign tumors made of enamel and dentin are formed.

And why exactly did his parents wait so long to seek treatment? They didn’t. Well, not exactly. You see, the boy’s swollen jaw began at the age of three, and even though he was taken to a doctor, he was so uncooperative that doctors were unable to examine him or perform any sort of investigative procedures. Unfortunately, this meant that his condition went undiagnosed, and the mass simply continued to grow over the next four years.^[3]

7 Woman Found in an Alligator’s Mouth

On September 22, 2023, 21-year-old Jamarcus Bullard was walking to a job interview in Largo, Florida, but as he passed the McKay Creek, he spotted a massive alligator with a human torso in its mouth. Bullard then alerted the authorities. When deputies arrived on the scene, the male alligator—which was nearly 14 feet (4 meters) long—was pulled from the canal and loaded onto a flatbed truck before being “humanely killed.”

A necropsy of the alligator later identified the victim as 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham, a homeless woman who was living in a makeshift campsite approximately 35 to 45 feet (10 to 13 meters) from the canal. Sadly, Peckham’s death was not due to foul play, but instead, the tragic result of blunt trauma and sharp force injuries sustained during an alligator attack.^[4]

6 Mouth Bacteria Can “Melt” Certain Cancers?

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally. While survival rates vary depending on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis, researchers at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ and King’s College in London made a discovery that has the potential to revolutionize treatment for these types of cancer.

In July 2024, a team of researchers led by Dr. Miguel Reis Ferreira published their findings, which revealed that patients who have higher levels of Fusobacterium—a common bacterium found in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract—in their mouth had “much better outcomes” when dealing with head and neck cancers. During the lab studies, researchers put quantities of the bacteria in petri dishes and left them for a few days. Upon their return, they found the cancer had almost disappeared! In fact, there was a 70-99% reduction in the number of viable cancer cells after being infected with Fusobacterium.

These findings are even more shocking because Fusobacterium is usually associated with the progression of bowel cancer. However, the bacteria seemingly has the opposite effect on head and neck cancers. Researchers hope these findings will lead to new treatments for patients diagnosed with mouth, throat, voice box, nose, and sinus-related cancers.^[5]

5 A Dangerous Game of Fetch

Like many dogs, Dennis Spring’s Peppah loves a good game of fetch. Unfortunately, when Spring and his two daughters decided to go on a weekend trip to Anna Bay, New South Wales, in August 2017, the family forgot to bring anything for Peppah to play with. The curious pup, however, was undeterred and quickly got to work.

Soon, Peppah returned with a rusty object that looked like a bike or car part and began initiating a game of fetch with her family. Thankfully, before anyone threw the object, Spring’s youngest daughter, 12-year-old Shenandoah, quickly noticed that the object resembled a bomb. It turns out that’s exactly what it was- an unexploded WWII mortar measuring 5 inches (15 cm) in length, which Peppah had proudly been carrying in her mouth.

Spring contacted the police, and the Royal Australian Air Force completed a controlled detonation on site, disposing of Peppah’s dangerous dog toy.^[6]

4 DIY Dentistry

Angie Barlow’s mother had a tooth removed, but during the dental appointment, she also learned that she had throat cancer. Barlow’s mother succumbed to the cancer at the age of 34, and her passing instilled a fear in Barlow of dentists that led her to take extreme measures when it came to her oral health.

Due to Barlow’s smoking habit, many of her teeth eventually began breaking into pieces and falling out. However, rather than seeking professional help, Barlow practiced DIY dentistry for over a decade, which led her to use superglue from a hardware store to glue the teeth back into her mouth. However, the situation eventually became so bad that the 48-year-old from Altrincham had no choice but to go to the dentist.

Unfortunately, by the time Barlow sought treatment, the toxic chemicals in the superglue had destroyed 90% of the bone supporting her teeth in her upper jaw. While Barlow was able to have her smile rebuilt in 2015, avoiding the dentist wound up costing her her life savings.^[7]

3 Mom Pries Son from the Jaws of a Mountain Lion

After being alerted by the sound of screaming, an unidentified mother in Colorado raced into her front yard where her two sons were playing on the evening of June 17, 2016. There, she was met with a horrific sight. A mountain lion was hunched over her 5-year-old son, and the boy’s head was inside the lion’s mouth. In a desperate attempt to save her son at all costs, the boy’s mother pried the cat’s jaws open, reached into the animal’s mouth, and freed her son’s head before running away.

Just after the attack, the boy’s father returned home from a run, dialed 911, and transported his wife and son to Aspen Valley Hospital. Thankfully, the five-year-old survived the horrific attack despite suffering deep lacerations to his cheek, a swollen eye, and having part of his scalp pulled back.

Prior to the incident, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials received reports of two mountain lions being spotted in the area. Both were later located and killed by wildlife officials.^[8]

2 Curiosity Lands Cat in Emergency Situation

When a cat named Kevin began vomiting and having trouble swallowing, his family took him to a veterinary urgent care clinic in Portland, Oregon, in June 2024. Kevin, however, was referred to the DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital for further evaluation. There, an X-ray and sedated oral exam revealed the source of the problem- Kevin had a sewing needle embedded in his mouth.

While the blunt end of the needle was pressing against the base of Kevin’s tongue, the other end was impaled through his hard palate and into his nasal cavity. Thankfully, with Kevin sedated, the needle was extracted, and he made a full recovery. But how exactly did the sewing needle get there in the first place? Unbeknownst to his owners, Kevin, known for his curious nature, snuck into a child’s room where a sewing project was laid out, and he decided to taste the needle.^[9]

1 Attempt at Social Media Challenge Goes Terribly Wrong

Imagine what emergency room staff would think if they saw a man and woman walk in, with the woman’s fist fully lodged inside the man’s mouth. Believe it or not, that was the scene inside a hospital in China’s Jilin Province on March 18, 2025.

The unidentified couple was attempting a viral “hand-eating challenge” where a man is supposed to open his mouth wide enough for a woman to put her clenched fist inside. While the woman’s hand did fit inside, unfortunately, it became stuck. Although the woman tried to remove her hand from the man’s mouth, her efforts were useless. The man’s face instead became red, he began drooling, making gargling noises, and eventually his teeth clamped down on her wrist due to muscle spasms, leaving them no choice but to seek medical attention.

To solve the bizarre dilemma, hospital staff played relaxing music in an attempt to calm the couple and prevent the man from choking or vomiting. From there, a special mouth opener was used to expand the man’s jaw enough to inject a muscle relaxant. Thankfully, after approximately 20 minutes, Dr. Zhang Mingyuan was able to rotate the woman’s wrist and set the couple free.^[10]

fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen