Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi may have had dental implants to repair his jaw and teeth following an attack, it has been suggested.
The 74-year-old underwent four hours of surgery today (March 7th 2011) in Milan after his face was damaged by the incident in 2009.
A mentally ill man had approached the premier before smashing him in the mouth with a statuette during a political rally, causing him to suffer suffered a broken nose and two broken teeth.
In a brief statement, a spokesperson said it had become "necessary to restore the anatomy and jaw function that had been gravely compromised" due to problems more than a year later.
There has been speculation from various sources that Berlusconi has now had dental implants fitted.
Last month, Shaun Harrad from Northampton Football Club said he had to have dental implants after falling during his honeymoon in 2010 and losing two of his teeth.
