The Buccal Fat Pad for Closure of Oroantral Communication

The buccal fat pad (BFP) is a well-established tool in oral and maxillofacial surgery and its use has proved of value for the closure of oroantral communications. Oroantral communication may be a common complication after sequestrectomy in "bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws."The authors report a clinical case of a 70-year-old female patient in bisphosphonate therapy presented with right maxillary sinusitis and oroantral communication after implants insertion.The BFP was used to close the defect. The patient had an uneventful postoperative healing without dehiscence, infection, and necrosis.The authors postulate that the primary closure of the site with BFP may ensure a sufficient blood supply and adequate protection for an effective bone-healing response to occur.