Incidental finding of an intranasal foreign body discovered on routine dental examination: case report.

A nasal foreign body was discovered radiologically on an initial dental examination of a young child. The child was a candidate for dental rehabilitation, using nasotracheal intubation under general anesthesia. The parents were unaware of the object's presence, and the child had no nasal symptoms. The child was referred to the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Service to have the object removed; this was accomplished successfully without sequelae on an outpatient basis. Dentists and physicians who treat children should be alert to the possible presence of intranasal objects in their patients.