stumped!!!

[albanQ]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi, I am an undergrad student and had a dentistry related question...i figured most of you would be able to answer it since you're studying dentistry yourselves.
I saw an emergency doctor order a "drill' done on the tooth of a person, since his sinuses were so blocked, and the hole in the cavity would allow the mucous to drip down in to the mouth. Is there a name for this procedure? I mean how would you refer to this procedure? Do you just say drilling?!

Some help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Yah-E]

The procedure you saw in general is called MAXILLARY ANTROSTOMY. There are many ways of performing an antrostomy, an endoscopic way being the latest and preferred technology. Since you mentioned that it was an emergency case, the emergency services (either OMFS, ENT, or Plastics) probably performed the Caldwell-Luc method.

According to Peterson's Principles of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery textbook, 2nd Edition:

"The Caldwell-Luc operation, originally described in the late 1800s, is an approach to the maxillary sinus through the labiogingival sulcus and canine fossa. In the classically described operation to treat chronic maxillary sinusitis, mucosa of the maxillary sinus was curettaged, and an inferior meatal antrostomy was created. Our knowledge of the mucociliary clearance patterns and our ability to now address the natural ostium have made the classic Caldwell-Luc procedure obsolete in the primary surgical management of chronic maxillary sinusitis.

Occasionally a sublabial approach is still required to the maxillary sinus in
unusual circumstances; however, given our current understanding of the ability of the mucosa to respond to medical therapy and the long-term problems associated with mucosal stripping, only a very limited mucosal resection is performed when this is required. Overall, external approaches may have a limited role in the management of complicated sinusitis, but
endoscopic surgery is preferred when technically possible to address the implicated pathology."

[DISCLAIMER: I am not an OMFS resident or an OMFS surgeon, I am only a 3rd-year dental student who enjoys the scope of practice of OMFS.]