Man escaped from prison to seek dental treatment

A man escaped from a Swedish prison simply to visit the dentist, and was then slapped with an extended sentence when he returned to the jail.

"My whole face was swollen. I just couldn't stand it any more," said the 51-year-old who was a prisoner at the minimum security Östragård facility in the municipality of Väners­borg, in south-western Sweden.

The prisoner, who was serving a one-month sentence, had asked for medical care for the pain in his tooth but to no avail, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

After leaving the grounds, he tracked down the nearest dentist, had his inflamed tooth removed, then reported himself to police who then drove him back to Östragård. Upon arrival, guards gave him a warning and extended his sentence by a day.