Accidental Ingestion of a Foreign Body of Orthodontic Origin - A Review of Risks, Complications and Clinical Recommendations.

Ingestion/aspiration episodes of foreign bodies are potential complications in almost all branches of dentistry. Occasionally, orthodontic appliances or small orthodontic components are accidentally swallowed and have caused problems with either the airway or the gastrointestinal tract, especially where the patient is supine or semi-recumbent. Despite their rare occurrence, the morbidity from a single incident and the level of specialized medical care that may be needed on emergency basis to manage such incidents is too high to ignore. Moreover, there is also the related risk of malpractice litigation given the fact that these incidents are preventable and increasing awareness among people. This article attempts to review potential risks and complications of ingestion/aspiration episodes based on relevant literature and describe the type of appliances and their parts most likely to cause problems. Certain recommendations based on best available evidence to minimize the incidence of such events are proposed, and strategies to aid the clinician in the event of such an emergency are also formulated.