Accidental ingestion of an endodontic file: A case report and clinical review

Foreign body ingestion or aspiration during dental procedure is a rare but serious mishap. Ingestion of blunt foreign objects is less hazardous, and the object is generally egested through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully, but sharp objects like endodontic files may sometimes cause intestinal perforation. Safety during dental treatment of children cannot be overemphasized. The present paper reports a case of accidental ingestion of a file during pulpectomy and the retrieval by endoscopy. This article also discusses the management of such an untoward event.