The Causes of Dental Implant Migration into the Maxillary Sinus: A Case Series Study from 25 Years of Experience

The use of dental implants to restore edentulous jaws has become commonplace. Usually, in the maxilla, following a tooth extraction, the height of alveolar bone decreases. This alteration in bone increases the risk of implants migrating into the sinus. In general, Caldwell-Luc and endoscopic surgery are performed to retrieve dental implants. In this case series, we collected data from 39 patients who had the complication of implant displacement within the maxillary sinus for 25 years. All the implants were removed using the Caldwell-Luc technique. Implant migration happened following functional loading, during the prosthetic procedure, due to lack of osseointegration in 3 patients, and during implant placement into the fresh socket in 3 patients. In the remaining cases, migration occurred preoperatively or postoperatively and prior to implant loading. Insufficient bone quantity is sometimes causing the implant to migrate to the maxillary sinus. In case of minimal bone height, a sinus lift before implant placement should be conducted. Retrieval of an implant pushed inside the maxillary antrum using the Caldwell Luc approach proved to be a reliable technique.