SEWING NEEDLE IN ROOT CANAL: A TIMELY DIAGNOSIS

Traumatic exposure of pulp chamber or large carious exposure makes easy pathway for intrusion of foreign objects into the teeth.

Aim: The tendency of foreign body getting lodged in the root canal is more common in children than in adults. These objects get accidentally placed in the canal as patients develop a habit of either exploring the canal space or for removing the food plugs. Children do not reveal the habit to the clinician or parents out of fear. Therefore, such cases need a careful examination on routine radiography. These objects may be a potential source of infection leading to painful condition. Thus the aim of treating the present case is to avoid any further complication due to a foreign body in root canal.

Case Presentation: The present case report shows sewing needle as foreign object lodged in the permanent anterior tooth. This case highlights that timely diagnosis and proper management of foreign object embedded in the tooth should be done as early as possible to avoid complications.

Discussion: Foreign objects act as foci of infection if not removed timely. Various techniques for removal of foreign objects from the root canal have been discussed in the literature.

Conclusion: This paper describes successful retrieval of sewing needle from the root canal by simple orthograde non-surgical technique following a timely diagnosis.