Treatment of a Dental Implant Fallen into the Maxillary Sinus

Abstract

Recently dental implant therapy becomes much popular especially in aged people. At the same time, some complications, infection, gingivitis, mobility and foreign body, occur.
Here we report the treatment for a 67-year-old woman, whose dental implant fell into the maxillary sinus during the dental care. The patient was introduced to our out-patient clinic by the dental doctor, to find out the missing implant and to treat cheek dull pain, bad smelling in right nasal cavity and liquid leakage from oral cavity to nasal cavity. The findings of plain radiographs and CT showed a dental implant was buried partially in swelling mucosa of the right maxillary sinus. In the operation, after opening the anterior wall of maxillary sinus the dental implant was taken out from swelling mucosa of the sinus. At the same time, a fistula at right maxillary molar area, which had been made at the implantation, was closed with the advanced alveolar mucosa. After the operation, cheek dull pain, bad smelling and the liquid leakage disappeared completely.
It is discussed that dental implants should be carefully indicated in the condition of maxillary bony floor and treated at implanting procedures, and direct open approach through the anterior sinus window is an appropriate method for this condition of implant buried in the sinus mucosa comparing with endoscopic procedure.