A salesman who chipped a tooth on a cookie while visiting a customer is entitled to compensation for his dental work after a court ruled it a work-related injury.

The Swedish Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favor of a claim by Calle Montell for state compensation, saying the injury was work-related because it occurred while he was on the job.

“I’m very happy,” Montell, 50, said Wednesday. “Everyone who is out on a job can have a snack knowing that they are covered by occupational safety laws.”

The Jan. 18 ruling ended a legal battle that began on Oct. 31, 2002, when Montell bit into a cookie offered by a customer and cracked his tooth on a cherry pit.

The local social insurance office denied him state compensation for the $570 it cost to repair the damage, rejecting his claim that the injury was work-related. Two courts dealt with the case before the Supreme Administrative Court issued its ruling, which cannot be appealed.

Montell, who sells ceramic stoves, said he contacted the social insurance office Wednesday but had not yet received the money.