Clinical Features of Oroantral Communication Management Using Buccal Fat Pad by Tunnel Method

Abstract

Background: Today, there is a wide variety of techniques for eliminating oroantral communication. One of them is the tunnel technique using a flap of the buccal fat pad. The introduction of this technique into clinical practice and the determination of the characteristics of the clinical course of the postoperative period in patients with the elimination of the oroantral communication using the tunnel method with the buccal fat pad determined the purpose of this work. Objectives: To determine the features of the clinical course of the postoperative period in patients with elimination of the oroantral communication using the tunnel method with the buccal fat pad. Materials and methods: In 30 patients aged from 35 to 72 years at the Department of Surgical Dentistry of ROSUNIMED was carried out the management of oroantral communication arising during the extraction of maxillary molars using the buccal fat pad by tunnel method. Results: In all cases of elimination of the oroantral communication after maxillary molars removal, the tunnel technique was used without completely covering the flap of the buccal fat pad with a vestibular flap. There was a general tendency for the severity of pain and swelling to increase on the 3rd day after treatment and decrease by the 7th day. During control examinations, no cases of recurrence of oroantral communication were detected. Complete epithelization of the postoperative area was observed in 29 patients (96.7%) on day 30. Conclusions: The emerging specific features of the postoperative period allow us to recommend the tunnel method of the oroantral communication management using the buccal fat pad.