Have you ever heard of a hole in the sinus after an extraction? This happened to my husband and he returns to

the DDS Dec 26. They are talking sugery to repair the hole. Any information will be appreciated.

Have you ever heard of a hole in the sinus after an extraction? This happened to my husband and he returns to
This can happen often.Especially with front tooth extractions. It should heal on its own after a few weeks. Antibiotics can help keep the infection away. I wouldn't worry,nor would I have surgery until I have seen an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist. I have had it happen twice, due to abscesses in my front teeth. They healed just fine. See the ENT before you commit to surgery, they are better able to deal with sinus injuries.
Reply:It happened to me when I had my wisdom teeth removed. One of them was extraordinarily close to my sinuses and it was pierced. To me, the worst part was the dry socket and the constant sinus drainage out the tooth socket. GROSS!! Anyway, the DDS packed it with something soaked in oil of cloves (nasty tasting) to help it heal from the bottom of the socket out so that I wouldn't get an abscess. It all turned out fine without further surgery.
Reply:The roots of upper premolars/molars are very close to the floor of the Maxillary Sinus, sometimes during an extraction procedure the floor of the sinus may be perforated, in the majority of such cases the perforation is so small that no lasting damage is done as the perforation is protected by a blood clot which fills the socket, and neither the patient/dentist is actually aware that it has happened.


If the perforation is larger the patient may become aware of this by the presence of fluid entering the nose after drinking/rinsing the mouth out, this perforation is called an Oro-Antral Fistula and needs to be closed to prevent infection of the sinus.


Small perforations can be closed by stitching the socket, larger ones require closure by stitching a flap of gum over the perforation its self!


Attempting to remove a retained tooth root can push the root up into the sinus or it can become trapped beneath the Mucous Membrane lining the floor of the sinus, if this is the case a minor oral surgery procedure can be carried out to have the root removed!
Reply:This is not uncommon in upper molars when they are removed. The usual course of action would depend on the size of the opening. A very small opening can sometimes heal itself and the larger the opening, the harder to heal and sometimes surgery is required. Antibiotics are required for any opening no matter the size to inhibit bacteria growth in the sinuses. I imagine the reason your husband is not going back for some time is because they are hopeful it will close on it's own. The fact that they did not do surgery right away is great. No blowing the nose, sneeze with mouth wide open, and try not to sniff. In other words, no negative pressure up there. good luck