• Wen-lin Xiao, Dai-zun Zhang, and Yan-hui Wang.
• Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Medical School Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China. wenlinxiaocn@yahoo.com.cn
• J Craniofac Surg. 2009 Mar 1;20(2):558-60.

AbstractAspiration of a tooth in maxillofacial injuries is a known complication necessitating prompt recognition and early treatment to minimize potentially serious and, sometimes, even fatal consequences. Here, we report a rare and unusual case in its presentation, the patient having aspirated 2 permanent teeth after maxillofacial, cervical vertebrae, and thoracic region crush injuries due to a motor vehicle accident. The diagnosis of teeth aspiration was delayed until 2 weeks after the event. An aspirated anterior tooth was expectorated by the patient himself, and the other aspirated anterior tooth was removed by flexible bronchoscopy. The paper also emphasizes that clinicians must be aware of dental injury resulting from maxillofacial injuries and account for all teeth as part of their evaluation, keeping an open mind as to where a missing tooth might be located. A rapid diagnosis depends on high clinical suspicion, clinical signs, and radiologic findings.

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