“May have inhaled a tooth”
Hello,
I had a crown, and noticed one day that it was gone. I grind my teeth in my sleep, and must have dislodged it. I am worried that I inhaled it (I have sleep apnea). How would I know, and what should/ could I do about it? What would happen if it stayed in there?
I had a crown, and noticed one day that it was gone. I grind my teeth in my sleep, and must have dislodged it. I am worried that I inhaled it (I have sleep apnea). How would I know, and what should/ could I do about it? What would happen if it stayed in there?
Male | 40 years old
Complaint duration: 30 days ago
4 Answers
Pulmonologist
Get a chest x-ray to see if there is a foreign body in your airways. If present, you will need a fiberoptic bronchoscopy to retrieve the crown.
Leaving it there can cause irritation, granuloma formation and post obstructive pneumonia.
Leaving it there can cause irritation, granuloma formation and post obstructive pneumonia.
You absolutely should have this checked out. A foreign body such as a tooth in the lungs can cause problems if not removed. Because the tooth has calcium, it should show up well on an Xray of the lung. I would recommend having a CT scan of the lung.
If you lost your crown it could be in your lungs or you could have swallowed it. If it is in your lungs it can would be seen on a chest xray. a pulmonary doctor can remove it with a bronchoscope. If you swallowed it you might see it come out in your stool. it can be cleaned and glued on again if there is not too much decay to the root.
chest xray rule out inhaled tooth
