An elderly nurse who was attacked while on duty has been left in need of cosmetic dentistry after she lost a front tooth.
The 66-year-old health care professional who works at Warwick Hospital in Australia was assaulted by a 16-year-old girl, who caused "extensive facial injuries", which included facial bruising, as well as the missing tooth.
Warwick Hospital has offered the nurse ongoing medical and emotional support to help her cope with her injuries.
A spokeswoman for Queensland Health said the nurse was working at the emergency department with other staff members at the time of the assault and was admitted for treatment at the hospital's emergency department.
"This is a serious offence; it's up there as the most serious in recent years," she said.
"All Queensland hospitals have a zero tolerance for violence towards staff."
The 16-year-old offender was arrested and is scheduled to appear at Warwick Children's Court on October 26th.
According to cosmetic dentistry professional Dr Phillip Friel, repairing a chip in a tooth can be carried out successfully, non-invasively and aesthetically using a direct composite resin technique.