Accidental displacement of impacted maxillary third molar: a case report

Abstract

An unusual case of an impacted right maxillary third molar that was accidentally displaced into the maxillary sinus during exodontia and was surgically retrieved almost 2 years later is described. The tooth was removed under general anesthesia, after maxillary sinus exposure through Caldwell-Luc approach. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. Six months after the retrieval surgery, the maxillary sinus was completely healed and the patient did not present any complaint.

Displacement of a maxillary third molar into the buccal space: anatomical implications apropos of a case

“…Excessive force when using elevators and improper surgical technique are cited as the most common causes of these iatrogenic displacements 1,16 . Regarding the latter, the most common types of accidental displacement occur in the infratemporal fossa or the maxillary sinus.…”

Complications Following Surgery of Impacted Teeth and Their Management

“…Removal of impacted maxillary third molars is a simple and easy procedure. Although rarely reported, displacement of either a root fragment, the crown, or the entire tooth into the infratemporal fossa and maxillary sinus space may occur [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Several factors that may predispose to tooth displacement into the infratemporal fossa including: Incorrect extraction technique, distolingual angulated tooth, decreased visibility during surgical removal or limited bone distal to the third molar [21].…”

“…However, Gulbrandsen et al [26] does not share this opinion because of fibrosis and anatomic boundaries of the infratemporal space. Therapeutic approaches to displaced teeth into the infratemporal fossa may include coronal, Gillies, Caldwell-Luc or resection of the coronoid process [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Some authors prefer to postpone the retrieval surgery for two weeks based until fibrous tissue formation immobilizes the tooth and the possibility that inferior displacement of the tooth may occur [25].…”

Risk factors in oroantral communication while extracting the upper third molar: Systematic review

“…This procedure involves the risk of developing complications such as oroantral communication (OAC), displacement into adjacent anatomic spaces, fracture of the maxillary tuberosity, and root fracture. [4][5][6][7] The frequency of OAC after UTM extraction noted in the literature is 0.8%. 8 Oroantral communication of less than 2 mm may spontaneously heal within 48 h after extraction, OAC greater than 3-4 mm is not expected to resolve itself without intervention and requires surgical treatment.…”