An All‐Zirconia Crown Discovered 2 Years Following Aspiration

Abstract

Accidental aspiration or ingestion can occur in dental treatment, as most procedures are performed with the patient in a supine position or semi-recumbent position. Aspiration of foreign bodies commonly causes acute symptoms such as violent coughing, choking, and dyspnea; however, if foreign bodies are stuck distally to the lower lobe bronchi or the bronchus intermedius, acute presentation can be rare. This clinical report documents a 68-year-old male patient who accidentally aspirated an all-zirconia crown during the try-in procedure. The case was initially surmised as ingestion. The crown remained in the lower lobe of the left lung for about 2 years without any significant symptoms. This report cautions the importance of airway protection during dental procedures.

Aspiration of the dental crown in an elderly patient

“…Even though crown aspiration is relatively uncommon, it constitutes a true medical emergency [27] , and some successful cases have been reported in the literature [12 , 14 , 28 , 29] . To avoid more severe complications—up to and including even death—individuals may attempt digital seizure when the foreign body is present in the oral cavity or the Heimlich maneuver in cases of aspiration and airway obstruction [1] .…”

Annual review of selected scientific literature: A report of the Committee on Scientific Investigation of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry

“…removable prosthodontics, [68][69][70] implant surgery, [71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83] peri-implant conditions, [84][85][86][87][88] temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and orofacial pain, [89][90][91][92][93][94] mastication, 95 bruxism, [96][97][98] maintenance, 99,100 pathology and disease, [101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108] oncology 109,110 (including a full issue of the Journal of Dental Research on "precision medicine" 111 ), pharmacology, [112][113][114][115] radiology, [116]…”