[Swallowing of fixed denture following general anesthesia--a case report]

Dental injury is a common complication associated with endotracheal general anesthesia. According to a study in Japan, the incidence of dental injury caused by endotracheal intubation is 0.69%. In one study in our country, evaluation of the oral condition was performed before, during and after anesthesia, and the frequency of dental trauma is as high as 12.1%. Fragment(s) of tooth or denture may cause serious, or even fatal complications. We report a case of swallowing of fixed denture following endotracheal general anesthesia. Our accident involved a 33-yr-old male who had experienced bilateral auditory impairment as a result of chronic otitis media. The patient underwent right modified radical mastoidectomy under endotracheal general anesthesia. It might well be that the patient's maxillary fixed denture was loosened at the time of endotracheal intubation. However, patient's denture was normal in appearance and not much attention was paid to it. During his stay at the post-anesthesia care unit, he might have unconsciously swallowed his denture. Verification was later made by X-ray. On careful observation, his denture was found in the feces during defecation 30 h post-operatively.