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Oral Surgery · single question

A patient accidentally swallows a tooth being extracted. What complication could IMMEDIATELY occur, EXCEPT:

  1. Slow pulse (bradycardia)
  2. Potential aspiration pneumonia if the tooth enters the lung
  3. Gagging and choking
  4. Respiratory distress if aspirated into the airway
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Correct answer: A. Slow pulse (bradycardia)

  • A. Correct — EXCEPTION. Slow pulse (bradycardia) is NOT a direct complication of swallowing a tooth. The tooth in the GI tract does not cause bradycardia. (A vasovagal response could occur from anxiety but is not a direct consequence of the swallowed object itself.)
  • B. Incorrect — this CAN happen if the tooth is ASPIRATED into the lung rather than swallowed.
  • C. Incorrect — this CAN happen as an immediate response to a foreign body event in the pharynx.
  • D. Incorrect — this CAN happen if aspirated into the airway (not swallowed to GI tract).

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