Dental prostheses and the impacted swallowed foreign body
Parker, A.J.; Yardley, M.P.; Owen, G.O.
Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh 38(6): 337-339
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-8835 PMID: 7509400 Document Number: 421007
A common belief exists that patients who wear false teeth are more likely to present with an impacted swallowed foreign body than those with a normal dentition. This study reviewed a series of 65 patients (with data available from 45) who presented with a swallowed impacted foreign body which required endoscopic removal under general anaesthesia. With the aid of a questionnaire the incidence of dental prostheses in these patients was determined. The number of patients in our study who had either false teeth or natural dentition was compared with the expected age-related incidence of wearing dental prostheses in the general population of the United Kingdom. There were no statistically significant differences between these groups. Patients presenting with an impacted swallowed foreign body are no more likely to be wearing false teeth than any other member of the population.