Removal of a tungsten carbide wedding ring with a diamond tipped dental drill.

Tungsten carbide (WC) is an incredibly hard inorganic compound that has recently become fashionable in the manufacture of men's jewellery, particularly wedding rings. It is a common misconception that these rings are unable to be cut and emergency treatment to remove them necessitates the amputation of the finger trapped within. We present a case of such a ring being successfully removed with the use of a diamond tipped dental drill with restoration of function and preservation of the finger. This is a previously undocumented method of removal of this type of ring in the English language literature. Copyright 2010 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.