Open AccessThe head of a broken toothbrush in the parapharyngeal space: A rare case report
Author(s) -
Sudipta Goswami
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of indian society of periodontology (print)/journal of indian society of periodontology (online)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.309
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 0975-1580
pISSN - 0972-124X
DOI - 10.4103/0972-124x.164763
Subject(s) - toothbrush , medicine , parapharyngeal space , pharynx , head and neck , head (geology) , bristle , anatomy , dentistry , surgery , brush , geomorphology , geology , electrical engineering , engineering
While brushing her teeth, the toothbrush of a 4-year-old female child was broken, and about 5.4 cm of it including the head was left behind in her mouth. The head of the toothbrush penetrated the lateral pharyngeal wall and got strongly impacted into the left parapharyngeal space due to the presence of bristles. The broken end of the handle was just protruding into the pharynx and was very difficult to locate. It led to a life-threatening condition. The head of the toothbrush was removed safely by endoscopic approach and the patient recovered without any complication.