Nasal septal foreign body as a complication of dental root canal therapy: A case report

Core Tip

Core Tip: In this case report, we present the case of a patient who visited four hospitals/clinics and underwent three surgical procedures for complete removal of a foreign body left during the dental root canal therapy. We consider this case suitable for publication for the following reasons: (1) This is an extremely unusual case. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on multiple nasal septal foreign bodies as a complication of dental root canal therapy; (2) It has educational value. This malpractice case calls for integrity reinforcement across medical institutions, as the foreign body left from the dental root canal therapy was deliberately covered up by the dentist until the foreign body broke. The patient visited four different hospitals/clinics and underwent three surgical procedures until the foreign bodies were totally removed; and (3) It has clinical value as it may provide an answer to the following questions: What should a dentist do when surgical instruments fracture? How to tell if there are two segments of a needle or if there is only one needle and the other segment is an artifact? Which surgical approach is the best for the patient?