Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as a rare complication of oral and maxillofacial surgery: a scoping review

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) following dental, oral, and maxillofacial surgery. Data were extracted for 61 patients from 22 eligible studies. The mean age was 43.7 years, younger than typical idiopathic cohorts, with a female predominance of 56%. Third molar surgery (n = 21) and osteotome sinus floor elevation (n = 17) were the most frequently associated procedures, together accounting for 62.2% of cases. Symptom onset occurred on the day of surgery in 17 cases, and all but one study reported onset within one week. The affected semicircular canal was identified in 48 cases, showing marked posterior canal predominance (97.9%). Diagnosis was most commonly made using the Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre (95.1%). The Epley manoeuvre was the most frequently used treatment (n = 51), with symptom resolution reported in all treated patients. benign paroxysmal positional vertigo appears to be an uncommon but clinically relevant postoperative complication that typically presents early and most often involves the posterior canal. These findings support a plausible procedure-related mechanism and highlight the importance of clinician awareness of postoperative positional vertigo.