Removal of a dental implant from the maxillary sinus. Use of a simple and effective technique using irrigation/aspiration with saline solution.

Abstract

When posterior dental implants are installed in the maxilla, they can accidentally dislocate into the maxillary sinus, either during surgery or during the implant repair phase. The literature describes the vulnerable phase for implant displacement as the second week after installation, when the bone remodels and can lead to a loss of initial stability. These implants should be removed due to the potential risk of complications such as abscesses, oroantral fistulas and migration to other anatomical sites. The removal procedure can be a variation of the maxillary sinus wall approach (Caldwell-Luc approach) or the endonasal approach, which is performed by an ENT doctor. We report the removal of an implant accidentally displaced into the maxillary sinus, which was removed using a simple technique: direct access via the maxillary sinus wall and irrigation/aspiration with saline solution.