When Clare Jones woke up in hospital after having a hysterectomy operation, she received a nasty shock.
The 47-year-old discovered she was missing two teeth, which she claims doctors removed during her routine keyhole procedure at the Royal Stoke University Hospital - with no warning and for no apparent reason.
The mother-of-two told medical staff she had one denture before her procedure, but has no idea why they removed additional teeth from her mouth.
An investigation into the incident has now been launched.
"I signed a form saying I have a denture after being asked three times by a nurse. She saw me take it out and she placed it into a dish and put it into my bag for me as I was moving wards after the operation," Jones said, according to the MailOnline.
"But nothing was said about removing any other teeth. And nobody seems to have any recollection of the teeth being taken out, it's just unbelievable."
Jones, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, has a history of gynaecological problems and was having a hysterectomy in an attempt to end her ill health.
She became aware that something was wrong after waking from the operation, when she tasted blood at the corner of her mouth.
Although she is recovering quickly from the hysterectomy operation itself, she has said the ordeal of losing her teeth has had a serious negative impact on her confidence.
She no longer smiles in public because she feels self-conscious about the hole in her mouth and has said she can't afford to have all the work done at the dentist to repair her teeth to their original state.
According to The Royal College of Anaesthetists, it is not unusual for doctors to ask patients to remove false teeth or dentures before a general anaesthetic.
This is because they may be dislodged or damaged as the anaesthetist places the artificial airway device in place.
But it is unclear why doctors would have removed other teeth from Jones' mouth.
The hospital has launched a full investigation in order to establish what happened, but according to The Stoke Sentinel, the process could take almost two months, as the NHS has given the case a deadline of September 24.
In a statement given to the local paper, Liz Rix, chief nurse at the hospital, said: "The Trust is aware of the concerns raised by Clare Jones and her family.
"We have set procedures in place to investigate all concerns raised by patients and we will be responding to the family in due course."