Foreign bodies of dental origin in the air and food passages

6 cases in which a reamer or a cast object was swallowed into the stomach or into the bronchus during dental treatment are described, with a review of the Japanese literature. The foreign bodies were removed by duodenotomy in one case, by endoscopic or bronchoscopic procedure in three cases; spontaneous evacuation in the stool occurred in two cases. The management of patients who swallowed a foreign body into the airway or into the alimentary canal is discussed.