Emergency management of a dental foreign body ingestion using rigid esophagoscopy – A clinical case report

Abstract

Ingestion of a foreign object is a common problem and is managed by otolaryngologists efficiently depending on its location, size of the object and patient's systemic condition. In dental literature foreign body aspiration or ingestion is often experienced and documented in regard to partial dentures, indirect restorations, endodontic files and retainers. This is encountered majorly due to improper isolation techniques, crown cementing failures, operator's negligence and patient's maintenance errors.In this case report we present an unusual procedural occurrence where a dental patient swallowed the loosened cartridge of a high speed hand airotor with a bur attached to it during access opening performed by a general practitioner with independent practice. The patient was immediately referred To Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad and was tackled by a team of doctors taking in to concern the patient's vitals and clinical symptoms. The localization of the object was confirmed to be in cricopharynx by radiographical assessment and is successfully retrieved through multidisciplinary approach in a speciality medical hospital by rigid esophagoscopy under general anaesthesia following which the post operative care was rendered and patient's follow up was done. The unusuality of this case concerns to the type of foreign body, shape, location and to our knowledge is one of the rare cases of this type reported in dental literature.