Esophageal perforation due to inadvertent swallowing of a dental prosthesis

Abstract

Intentional or inadvertent swallowing of foreign bodies can lead to severe complications in the gastrointestinal tract, primarily in the esophagus, and requires an urgent approach. In children, coins are the most commonly seen foreign bodies in the esophagus. However, in adults, the solid components of meals, like bones, and in the elderly population dental prostheses are the most frequently observed ingested foreign bodies. Even though a swallowed dental prosthesis is usually seen as a geriatric problem, esophageal obstruction and/or perforation can occur in any denture user in any age group. Thus, the aim of this report was to present one of these interesting cases of esophageal perforation due to a partial denture ingestion and its treatment in a 32-year-old male.