Accidentally lodged airgun pellet in maxilla during childhood play retrieved surgically after a decade

Non-powder firearm-related injuries to the head and neck carry the potential risk of significant morbidity and mortality. Such penetrating injuries tend to be under-reported and trivialised especially in children. Air gun pellet injury may cause damage to both soft tissue and bone. Some metals, when embedded in body tissue, can evoke a foreign body reaction or release toxins over time. It therefore becomes imperative to retrieve these pellets. We present one such case of accidental lodgement of airgun pellet in the right maxilla of a 12-year-old boy during childhood play with an airgun which went unnoticed at that time and was surgically retrieved after a decade. The patient had not suffered from any neurosensory deficit.