Surgical treatment of ectopic maxillary third molars involving maxillary sinus: A systematic literature review

• Published in: Medicinski pregled Vol. 77; no. 7-8; pp. 248 - 256
• Main Authors: Brajkovic, Denis, Kiralj, Aleksandar, Ilic, Miroslav, Mijatov, Ivana, Mijatov, Sasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• ISSN: 0025-8105; 1820-7383
• DOI: 10.2298/MPNS2408248B

Introduction. This article aims to evaluate surgical procedures for the extraction of ectopic maxillary third molars involving the maxillary sinus. Systematic Review. A systematic review of case reports and case series of ectopic maxillary third molars involving the maxillary sinus was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement guidelines. Results. A total of 45 articles reporting 79 cases of ectopic third molars met the eligibility criteria. Among the patients, 45 were male (58%) and 34 were female (42%), with a median age of 25.5 years. Dentigerous cysts were found in 75% of cases. The conventional Caldwell-Luc procedure was employed in 39% of reported cases, while the Caldwell-Luc technique with intraoral endoscopy was utilized in 15% of cases. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed in 36% of cases, with postoperative complications reported in 10%. Conclusion. Based on extensive review of the literature, we can conclude that the Caldwell-Luc procedure remains the preferred method for removing ectopic teeth in the maxillary sinus, whether or not associated with dentigerous cysts. Further refinement of intraoral endoscopy linked with the Caldwell- Luc technique should be particularly considered as it may lead to its establishment as the gold standard for such interventions.