DOI: 10.36347/sjds.2019.v06i07.003

Pages: 337-343

Foreign body aspiration/ingestion is one of the vexing complications during any dental treatment procedures. This may be attributed to the small size of the instruments or prosthesis and treating the patient in supine or semi – recumbent position. Aspiration/ ingestion of foreign bodies is a life-threatening incident. Hence, it is always better to follow the golden rule “prevention is better than cure”. But if such an incident occurs, proper management is crucial to prevent morbidity and mortality. The objective of this paper is to draw attention to the risk factors, symptoms, various preventive measures to be taken during dental treatment procedures, serious consequences of foreign body aspiration / ingestion, and management of such accidents.