SWALLOWED PARTIAL DENTURE: A CASE REPORT AND A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is a common occurrence and the majority of foreign bodies that reach the
gastrointestinal tract pass spontaneously. However, some patients require non-operative intervention or even
surgery. Unexplained abdominal pain should alert the clinician to the possibility of foreign body ingestion. The
one-tooth removable partial denture provides no cross-arch stabilization and there is the chance that it may be
swallowed if it becomes dislodged. Patients should be educated on the importance of adherence to instructions of
mechanics of use, life span, maintenance of dentures, and maintenance recall visits to assess the retention of
dentures. It is also important the incorporation of radiopaque material in dental appliances, because the location
of a swallowed or aspirated dental prosthesis often is accomplished radiographically. The aim of this paper is to
report a case of a patient who swallowed a unilateral partial denture, which was removed by laparotomy.

DESCRIPTORS - Partial denture, foreign body, swallowing, laparotomy