Dental implant therapy in the treatment of an oroantral communication after exodontia

A new technique in which a dental implant was the ultimate therapy for the treatment of an oroantral communication (OAC) that was created subsequent to the extraction of a maxillary first molar is described. A search of the English-speaking literature has not revealed implant therapy as part of documented modalities for the treatment of an OAC created following dental extraction. The OAC was closed by a sandwich technique that uses two resorbable membrane materials (Bio-Gide, Osteohealth, Shirley, NY) that surround a bone substitute (Bio-Oss, Osteohealth). This procedure, together with additional onlay grafting with the same bone substitute, was used also to regenerate subantral bone to enable the subsequent placement of an endosseous implant after 12 months. An 8-month postoperative radiograph showed creation of a new maxillary sinus bony floor and subantral bone of good quality, and height that can permit the placement of an endosseous dental implant.