Accidental swallowing of an endodontic instrument. Report of a case

Rubber dam usage for endodontic treatment: a review

Rubber dam has been available to the dental profession for over 140 years. During this time, the use of rubber dam has been perfected, universally taught and recommended by professional organizations. Unfortunately, its consistent use has been rejected by many in the profession. The literature suggests that rubber dam is not used routinely by dental practitioners for root canal treatment. Many unfounded reasons have been cited for its lack of use, including concerns over patient acceptance, time required for application, cost of equipment and materials, insufficient training, difficulty in use and low treatment fees. Failure to use rubber dam has been shown to influence the choice of root canal irrigant, has a negative impact on treatment outcome and places the patient at risk of swallowing or aspirating materials and instruments. Methods to popularize rubber dam amongst general practitioners are discussed.

Accidental swallowing of a hypodermic needle

This unusual case report describes the accidental swallowing of a hypodermic needle by a patient during a conservative procedure, which though safely discharged in the stool after 24 hours but emphasizes the use of two major preventive measures namely, rubber dam and oral packing during all endodontic and conservative procedures to prevent the occurrence of such unfortunate incidence.

Foreign body aspiration in dentistry: a review

This article reviews the dangers of aspirating foreign bodies of dental origin. Two illustrative cases are presented, including an unusual case involving aspiration of an elastomeric impression material. The authors describe the techniques used to identify the foreign body. A radiodensimetric study of four impression materials demonstrates the difficulty of identifying most impression materials. The authors also present some strategies for reducing the risk of aspiration during dental procedures.

A denture swallowed. Case report

Swallowing and aspiration of dental foreign objects is often reported in the literature. Swallowing seems to be more common than aspiration, and is observed most often in the elderly. Too often the size and configuration of these objects compounds their impaction and removal. A 67-year-old man swallowed a unilateral removable partial denture which became lodged in his mid-oesophagus. The denture was located by radiographic examination of his chest and removal by a rigid oesophagoscopy was performed under general anaesthetic.

Retrieval of a swallowed casting 6 weeks after ingestion. A case report

An inadequately retained gold multiple-unit fixed prosthesis was accidently swallowed, ingested into the gastrointestinal tract, and recovered naturally after a delay of 6 weeks. Correct procedures were followed and documented by the providers involved, allowing for a successful conservative resolution of the mishap.

Accidental swallowing of an endodontic instrument. A report of two cases

Two cases of the accidental swallowing of endodontic instruments have been reported. The instrument passed naturally through the alimentary canal within 4 days in the first case and within 2 weeks in the second case. Routine use of the rubber dam will prevent this type of accident.