Ex-aspirated: A Case of Dental Product Aspiration With Retrieval Methodology and Current Review

Foreign body aspiration is of significant prevalence in the pediatric and young adult populations. After dental work, patients are more likely to develop pulmonary symptoms secondary to aspiration events within the tracheobronchial tree. Herein, we describe the clinical case of a 22-year-old man with a past medical history of epilepsy and tuberous sclerosis who presented to his primary care provider for chronic coughing and wheezing. With symptoms refractory to albuterol and control of allergies, radiography was obtained, revealing a 4.1 cm dental product in the right bronchus. We provide an overview of our retrieval method as well as a comparison of flexible and rigid bronchoscopies and the bronchoscopic tools available.