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. 2009 Feb 3;2(1):117.
doi: 10.1186/1757-1626-2-117.

Dental root canal treatment complicated by foreign body ingestion: a case report

Ramyia G Dhandapani  1 , Susim Kumar, Mark E O'Donnell, Ted McNaboe, Brian Cranley, Geoff Blake
Affiliations

Dental root canal treatment complicated by foreign body ingestion: a case report

Ramyia G Dhandapani et al. Cases J. .

Abstract

Introduction: Most foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully. The majority of the reported literature describes the management of ingested blunt objects. However, ingestion of sharp objects can still occur with a higher rate of perforation corresponding to treatment dilemmas.

Case presentation: We report the conservative management of an inadvertently ingested sharp foreign body during a routine dental procedure and describe a management strategy for the treatment of both blunt and sharp foreign bodies.

Conclusion: Urgent endoscopic assessment and retrieval is indicated when there is a history of a recently ingested sharp foreign body or if clinical suspicion suggests that the object is located within the oesophagus. Conservative management is advocated if the object has passed through the pylorus with serial clinical assessments including daily radiographs. Surgical intervention is warranted in the presence of obstruction, perforation or peritonitis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Root canal (Endodontic) file (Dent Supply, BF Mulholland Ltd, Glenavy, Northern Ireland).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Abdominal X-ray (AXR) demonstrating root canal file at the level of the L1 vertebra.
Figure 3
Figure 3
AXR on day 2 – Sharp foreign body has progressed to the hepatic flexure.
Figure 4
Figure 4
AXR on day 3 – showing no further evidence of the FB.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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