2026 Volume 41 Issue 1 Pages 37-42
Accidental ingestion or aspiration of removable dental prostheses is a serious patient safety issue that may lead to life-threatening complications such as choking or aspiration pneumonia. The risk is particularly high in patients with mental disorders or cognitive impairment, in whom recognition of risk and self-reporting of symptoms may be difficult. We report a case of occult denture ingestion that was incidentally diagnosed during videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing（VF）.
The patient was a 56-year-old man with intellectual disability and epilepsy. VF was performed to evaluate swallowing function, which revealed impaction of a partial denture in the oropharynx. Denture ingestion was diagnosed, and a foreign body was successfully removed by otolaryngologists under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, excessive drooling decreased and speech intelligibility improved, with no serious complications observed.
In this case, loss of the denture had been documented at the time of hospital admission；however, denture ingestion was not sufficiently considered during the dental treatment process. When the location of a missing prosthesis is unknown, the possibility of ingestion or impaction in the pharynx or gastrointestinal tract should be considered. Comprehensive assessment, including imaging studies and prompt multidisciplinary collaboration, is essential for ensuring patient safety.
