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'Vengeful Dentist' Story a Hoax

Looks like a Polish woman didn't rip out her ex-boyfriend's teeth...

By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff

Posted May 9, 2012 9:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – If it sounds too good (or insane) to be true, more proof that it probably is. MSNBC reports that the wildly popular story of the Polish dentist who tore out her ex-boyfriend's teeth is a hoax. Though the story was replete with names (Anna Mackowiak and Marek Olszewski, respectively) and colorful quotes ("the b**** had emptied my mouth"), it began to unravel as soon as MSNBC placed a few calls to Poland.

Though the original story claimed Mackowiak could go to jail for three years if found guilty, police in Wroclaw say they have no record of the crime and are "not investigating such a case." Poland’s Chamber of Physicians and Dentists tells the same tale, and adds that it has no Anna Mackowiak listed in its roster of registered dentists. And in a nod to American gullibility, MSNBC notes that most Polish news outlets passed on the story (though one Polish TV channel did publish a piece—mocking the foreign coverage). Odder still, the story seems to have originated with the Daily Mail (which Newser cited); but the article's bylined reporter says, "My news desk isn’t sure where exactly it came from."

Don't be afraid of the dentist.
Don't be afraid of the dentist.   (Getty Images)
Don't be afraid of the dentist.
Don't be afraid of the dentist.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
slammer
May 10, 2012 8:09 PM CDT
HA HA I TOLD YOU SO!
kukisvoomchor
May 9, 2012 10:35 PM CDT
I had trouble with this story when it first broke. Normally for extractions a dentist would use a local anesthetic and the patient would certainly notice if something unusual were going on. A general anesthetic by comparison is a major production (I had one in a dentist office once for some minor bone surgery) which requires the cooperation of the patient beforehand and usually at least one trained assistant to help out during the session and, among other things, make sure the patient isn't... well, dying. So it's hard to imagine a dentist pulling all of someone's teeth on the sly.
Nxxxx
May 9, 2012 9:11 PM CDT
Back in the day when the NBU grid was worth posting a story on, I seem to recall avoiding publications like the Daily Mail as a primary source for anything, mainly because it has all the cred of a (UK) Sun or Enquirer.
 

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