Maxillary sinus involvement of maxillary third molars: An OPG study conducted at Dow International Dental College, Karachi.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the angulation, position, and impaction of the maxillary third molar and its proximity and relationship to the maxillary sinus assessed through dental OPGs. Study Design: Cross-sectional Analytical study. Setting: Department of Oral Surgery, Dow International Dental College, Dow University of Health Sciences. Period: November 2019 to February 2020. Material & Methods: Through convenience sampling, 1684 Orthopantograms were collected. Out of which 864 OPGs were selected and included in this study. From these OPGs, 1228 maxillary third molars were evaluated for their proximity to the floor of the maxillary sinus. Results: Most common relation of the maxillary sinus with third molar roots was in class II which is 0-2mm bone presenting between the root and the sinus unanimously between both genders. Most of the roots of maxillary third molars present within the maxillary sinus were found within the second and third decade of life in both genders. Conclusion: Dental OPGs present a cost-effective viable alternative to CBCT in the treatment planning of impacted maxillary upper incisors in combination with other radiographs. The findings of this study further strengthen the proposal of using dental OPGs in the diagnostic repertoire of impacted wisdom teeth in low resource settings.