Surgical retrieval of foreign object from labial mucosa and iatrogenic perforation repair with mineral trioxide aggregate

During routine dental procedures like root canal treatments, it is unusual that a foreign body gets entrapped or lost in the adjacent soft tissue of the oral cavity. But sometimes due to unexpected movement of the patient or careless handling of the instruments, some instruments may get into the soft tissue surrounding the area of operation. Most of these should be removed immediately to prevent further complications, such as inflammation and infection. However, it is not an easy job to locate the exact location of the foreign body in the soft tissue especially if it is very small in size. We describe an unusual case of an embedded broken endodontic file in the buccal mucosa that may have been lost during previous endodontic procedure which was left incomplete. The location of the foreign body (endodontic file) was accurately identified using routine radiographic procedure (RVG), which was then safely removed by minimal invasive surgical intervention, followed by completion of the endodontic treatment of the involved teeth using MTA for buccal perforation repair.