Case Report: Iatrogenic Bowel Perforation Following Dental Procedure

Abdominal pain is a common complaint in emergency medicine, with a vast differential diagnosis. We report a case of a 42-year-old male presenting with two days of progressively worsening left lower quadrant (LLQ) pain. A CT scan of the abdomen demonstrated a small metallic foreign body. The patient had not ingested any grilled food, since this was the speculated etiology, given the concern for potentially ingesting a wire grill brush piece. Considering the significant pain and associated computer tomography (CT) findings, the patient was taken to the operating room. A 2 cm piece of metal wire was found perforating his small intestines. The patient remembered a recent visit to his orthodontist which was uneventful. Complications from orthodontic procedures are rare and typically benign. We report an unusual case of an iatrogenic small bowel perforation from an archwire. The patient had a full recovery.

Orthodontist, bowel perforation, iatrogenic, archwire.