Abstract
Accidental ingestion or aspiration of dental foreign bodies may occur not only during dental treatment but also in various other situations. In most cases, the foreign bodies pass harmlessly through the gastrointestinal tract and are eliminated, but in some cases serious complications arise such as esophageal erosion, appendicitis, airway obstruction and pneumonia. In this report, we review seven cases of accidental ingestion or aspiration of dental foreign bodies in the Department of Endoscopy in our hospital during the period December, 2005 to December, 2008.
The mean age of these patients, five males and two females, was 70.7±20.5 years. In three cases, foreign bodies were retained in the stomach, and two in the bronchus, one in the pharynx and one in the esophagus. The foreign bodies, all of which were successfully extracted by endoscope or bronchoscope, were dental prostheses, endodontic instrument, and tooth avulsion.
Besides taking adequate precautions to prevent accidental ingestion or aspiration, it is recommended that each facility should prepare guidelines for the management of these accidents to avoid medical complications.
