Rugby player competes for months with foe's tooth lodged in forehead

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - A rugby player in Australia kept competing for more than four months without realizing he had an opponent's tooth lodged in his forehead.

Ben Czislowski, a former National Rugby League prop playing for Brisbane team Wynnum, had a clash of heads with opposing forward Matt Austin during an April 1 match against Tweed Heads and had a headwound stitched up afterward, the Australian Associated Press reported Tuesday.

But Czislowski later suffered an eye infection and complained of lethargy and shooting pains in his head.A visit to his doctor last week revealed a tooth still imbedded in his head.

"I can laugh about it now, but the doctor told me it could have been serious, with teeth carrying germs," said Czislowski, who kept the tooth as a souvenir.

"I've got the tooth at home, sitting on the bedside table," he said. "If he (Austin) wants it back he can have it. I'm keeping it at the moment as proof that it actually happened.

"In 2004, Australian rugby league hooker Shane Millard also had an opponent's tooth removed from his head while playing for English club Widnes.

Two years earlier, Australian Jamie Ainscough's arm became so badly infected while playing for Wigan in England there were fears it would be amputated before the source — an imbedded tooth — was discovered.