A 13-year-old boy was left with horrifying injuries in a devastating accident on a hotel water slide.
Stunned mum Kelly Griffiths said her son Louis ended up with teeth in his nose after the water at the pool was turned off.
Grim photos show the treatment the schoolboy had to go through to get his smile back.
Kelly told Wales Online there was "blood everywhere" and Louis had to be rushed to hospital.
She said: "I was actually back in the room, it was about 5.30pm and I'd headed back up so I could shower before tea and that's when the kids my son had been at the pool with had come up to the room and said 'Louis' knocked his front teeth out'.
"Louis and some other kids had been climbing up the waterslide after the water had been turned off.
"His friend had made it up and had reached out his hand to pull Louis but he couldn't grab it and fell flat on his face.
"His cousin Mason had carried him to the showers and there was blood everywhere.
"When I got down there they were already rushing him through into the doctor's room at the hotel and 40 mins later we were on our way to hospital."
Louis, from Bridgend, was on a week-long family holiday in Antalya, Turkey, with his mum, nan, and his cousin, when he suffered the serious injuries.
Kelly continues the story: "We eventually were sent to the emergency dentist where he was seen by an oral surgeon. His teeth had been pushed all the way up into his nasal cavity, so it looked like he had a broken nose."
Thanks to her former job, Kelly was well aware of what was at risk.
She said: "Having been a dental nurse, I knew exactly how bad this could be, and it only made me worry more. These were his adult teeth so I knew he was at risk of losing them."
Louis was operated on there at the dental surgery and had his teeth repositioned and splinted, all whilst he was awake.
Kelly said: "They gave him five injections of local anaesthetic and they cut his gum open and pulled the teeth back down and had them positioned by the splint. I think he was just in shock, in this country he would have been put to sleep."
"The holiday was ruined after that, and we were only on day two. We just wanted to come home.
"Louis couldn't do anything, he couldn't eat or drink properly and he couldn't go in the pool."
When the family returned to Wales, Louis's dentist had him referred to see specialists at Morriston Hospital, where the journey began to get his smile back.
After various treatment options had been exhausted, he was referred to Dr Rohini Mohan, Swansea Bay’s clinical lead for Community Dental Services, who successfully treated Louis at the Neath Port Talbot Resource Centre following the August 2019 incident – and gave him back a perfect smile.
Dr Mohan said: “The pictures of Louis have been inspirational to show other children who have suffered a trauma that you can come through it.
"It helps their parents as well. The worst can happen, and you can still come out with a beautiful smile.
Kelly said she couldn't thank the dental team enough for helping Louis get his smile back.
She said: "Dr Rohini and her team were absolutely amazing. I can't thank them enough for everything they've done for Louis."
