The aim was to evaluate the presence of maxillary sinus abnormalities in patients with dental implants in the posterior maxillary region using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images.
Dental implants are widely used for posterior maxillary restorations. However, factors such as poor bone quality, extensive alveolar resorption, and maxillary sinus pneumatization following tooth loss can make this a challenging task.
Moreover, due to the anatomical proximity of the alveolar ridge and maxillary sinuses as well as vascularization and common innervations, the fixation of dental implants in the posterior maxillary region can trigger inflammatory processes in the maxillary sinuses, especially in cases where the integrity of the maxillary sinus floor is affected.
Accidental perforation of the maxillary sinus mucosa may lead to acute or chronic inflammation, and thickening of the sinus mucosa as well as the presence of mucous retention cysts or pseudocysts may increase the risk of ostium obstruction, eventually leading to sinusitis.
Given that approximately 40% of maxillary sinusitis cases are of odontogenic origin, possible dental causes must be included in the differential diagnosis and treatment of sinusitis.
While recent improvements in oral hygiene habits have led to a decline in periapicaland periodontal-disease-related odontogenic sinusitis, rates of sinusitis associated with iatrogenic etiology and/or surgical dental procedures in the posterior maxillary region have been increasing.
Inadequate treatment of sinusitis can lead to implant failure as well as more serious complications such as orbital cellulitis, optic neuritis, extradural and subdural infection, encephalitis, osteomyelitis, and, in rare cases, brain abscess.
Moreover, a study by Longhini et al. suggested that an increase in sinusitis related to maxillary dental-implant surgery can be expected in the near future.
Preoperative diagnostics based solely on panoramic radiographs may not suffice to display anatomic variations of the maxillary sinus.
DENTAL BOOK: Tooth or Implant? The recovery or replacement of the severely compromised natural tooth
Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is considered to be an effective method for analyzing sinus structure.
Existing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images can be used to provide an accurate assessment of the relationship between sinusitis and the presence of posterior maxillary implants.
However, the majority of the literature addressing the connection between posterior maxillary implants and sinusitis consists of clinical case studies and as a result, a full understanding of the role that the spatial relationship between maxillary implants and the maxillary sinus plays in sinus alterations has yet to be established.
Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the correlations between maxillary sinus abnormalities and the presence of dental implants in the posterior maxillary region using existing CBCT
images.
The null hypothesis was that there was no correlation between maxillary sinus abnormalities and the presence of dental implants in the posterior maxillary region.
