Removal of a tungsten carbide wedding ring with a diamond tipped dental drill

Abstract

Tungsten carbide (WC) is an incredibly hard inorganic compound that has recently become fashionable in the manufacture of men's jewellery, particularly wedding rings. It is a common misconception that these rings are unable to be cut and emergency treatment to remove them necessitates the amputation of the finger trapped within. We present a case of such a ring being successfully removed with the use of a diamond tipped dental drill with restoration of function and preservation of the finger. This is a previously undocumented method of removal of this type of ring in the English language literature.