Hotpot horror: Diner blames restaurant's faulty chopsticks for loose tooth, seeks compensation

Mr Koh Hui Koon, 63, settled into his seat at a hotpot restaurant, ready for his meal.

As he took his first bite, the chopsticks provided by the restaurant unexpectedly splintered in his mouth, turning his dinner into a painful ordeal.

The incident occurred at 2pm on May 12 at a hotpot restaurant located near Chinatown MRT station.

"This is the second time I've used this kind of chopstick at the restaurant. The last time I used it, I had already found it hard to use," he said.

"This time, I even pressed it a few times to make sure it was tightly secured before using."

While attempting to stop the bleeding, Mr Koh discovered his tooth was loose.

Blood-stained tissues lay on his table, and he demonstrated how his lateral incisor now wobbled with pressure.

Mr Koh and his wife cut their meal short and requested the restaurant cover his medical expenses.

He explained that he did not have many good teeth left and had previously spent a significant sum on dental implants and now faced further damage to another tooth, estimating the potential treatment could cost between $4,000 to $5,000.

"If it were ordinary chopsticks, the injury would be my fault if I used them improperly, but the chopsticks provided by the restaurant are too difficult to use, so it should be their responsibility if the chopsticks caused the injury to the diner," he said.

When approached by a Shin Min Daily News reporter regarding the incident, the restaurant representative stated that they declined to comment on the matter.