Correlation between Time Elapsed after Maxillary Teeth Extraction and Maxillary Sinus Pneumatization

Abstract

background: Pneumatization is an activity that occur physiologically in all paranasal sinuses during the growing period, causing them to increase in volume. Pneumatization of the sinus after extractions can have various treatment-planning implications, such as reduction of the alveolar bone height available for implants, orthodontic miniscrew or complication in preprosthetic surgery.Aim of the study: To find the correlation between rate of pneumatization of maxillary sinus and time after extraction of the related teeth. Subjects, material and methods: A total of 96 panoramic radiograph used to measure the supero-inferior differences of the sinus floor position by using interorbital line and 2 zygomatic lines as a reference lines after one to more than 10 years of the unilateral extraction of one of the maxillary second premolar, first molar or second molar tooth of 48 experimental subjects to make a comparison with the contralateral 48 control subjects with bilateral present mentioned teeth. Results: 48 control subjects show no statistically significant mean difference between the one side and the adjusted contralateral side. There was statistically significant increase in the side of the missing tooth compared to that of the contralateral side. The site of the missing tooth is associated with an average increase in distance of 2.53mm from the comparable 0.22mm in the control subjects, and this change was statistically significant. There is a moderate strong positive linear correlation coefficient between time interval and maxillary sinus pneumatization r=0.45 P<0.001.Conclusion & discussion: The pneumatization of the maxillary sinus is related to the time interval since extraction. The longer the time interval the more maxillary sinus pneumatization.