Ouch. I've had popcorn husks stuck in between my teeth, but never had an infection because of it and certainly never tried to remove one with wire or a nail! Good old floss usually does the job.
Keep in mind that before we undergo open heart surgery we need a "dental clearance". It was explained to me by the surgeon that infections in the mouth that go untreated can quickly move to the heart and do major damage there. With that in mind, it's not difficult to see why this man's heart was damaged by an untreated infection in his mouth..