{"id":1414,"date":"2025-10-20T09:48:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T06:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/?p=1414"},"modified":"2025-10-20T09:48:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T06:48:28","slug":"what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an Oroantral Fistula? Why Does It Occur and How Is It Treated?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">\u0130ndex<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#What_is_an_Oroantral_Fistula_Why_Does_It_Occur_and_How_Is_It_Treated\" >What is an Oroantral Fistula? Why Does It Occur and How Is It Treated?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#What_is_an_Oroantral_Fistula_Oral%E2%80%93Sinus_Opening\" >What is an Oroantral Fistula (Oral\u2013Sinus Opening)?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#Most_Common_Causes\" >Most Common Causes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#What_Are_the_Symptoms\" >What Are the Symptoms?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#How_is_the_Diagnosis_Made\" >How is the Diagnosis Made?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#How_Is_Treatment_Performed\" >How Is Treatment Performed?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#1_Clearing_the_Infection\" >1. Clearing the Infection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#2_Closing_the_Opening\" >2. Closing the Opening<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#OAF_Developing_After_Implant_and_Sinus_Lift\" >OAF Developing After Implant and Sinus Lift<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#Post-Surgery_Precautions\" >Post-Surgery Precautions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#What_Happens_If_Not_Treated\" >What Happens If Not Treated?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/what-is-an-oroantral-fistula-why-does-it-occur-and-how-is-it-treated\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_an_Oroantral_Fistula_Why_Does_It_Occur_and_How_Is_It_Treated\"><\/span>What is an Oroantral Fistula? Why Does It Occur and How Is It Treated?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><strong>Prof. Dr. Gediz Murat Serin \u2013 Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_an_Oroantral_Fistula_Oral%E2%80%93Sinus_Opening\"><\/span>What is an Oroantral Fistula (Oral\u2013Sinus Opening)?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An oroantral fistula is the formation of an <strong>unwanted opening (passage)<\/strong> between the <strong>maxillary sinus<\/strong> located inside the upper jaw (maxilla) bone and the oral cavity.<br \/>\nIn other words, an abnormal connection develops between the mouth and the sinus. In this case, <strong>food and water from the mouth can pass into the sinus<\/strong> and recurrent sinus infections occur.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_Common_Causes\"><\/span>Most Common Causes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This opening usually occurs due to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Difficult extraction<\/strong> of upper molar or premolar teeth,<\/li>\n<li>Sinus damage occurring during <strong>implant<\/strong> or <strong>sinus lift (bone elevation)<\/strong> surgery,<\/li>\n<li>Previously performed <strong>cyst or tumor operations<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li>Trauma or <strong>bone weakening after radiotherapy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In other words, it is most often noticed after <strong>a procedure performed in the dental area<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_the_Symptoms\"><\/span>What Are the Symptoms?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Patients generally present with the following complaints:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fluid leakage<\/strong> from nose to mouth or mouth to nose,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Air coming into the mouth<\/strong> when blowing the nose,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bad taste<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li>Unilateral <strong>nasal congestion or discharge<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li>A <strong>non-healing space<\/strong> or feeling of a hole after tooth extraction,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fullness and pain<\/strong> in the sinus area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In some patients, this condition manifests as <strong>recurrent sinusitis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_is_the_Diagnosis_Made\"><\/span>How is the Diagnosis Made?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The diagnosis is usually made by <strong>examination and endoscopic examination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It is noticed by air passage from inside the mouth. What the patient drinks may come out from the nose.<\/li>\n<li>The inside of the sinus is evaluated with <strong>nasal endoscopy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In necessary cases, the location and size of the defect and the condition inside the sinus are clarified by taking <strong>dental and sinus tomography (CBCT)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At this stage, both the <strong>opening (fistula)<\/strong> and <strong>sinusitis<\/strong> if present are evaluated together.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Is_Treatment_Performed\"><\/span>How Is Treatment Performed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The aim in oroantral fistula treatment is to <strong>clean the sinus from infection<\/strong> and <strong>close the opening between the mouth and the sinus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Treatment consists of two stages:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Clearing_the_Infection\"><\/span>1. Clearing the Infection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If there is sinus inflammation, the sinus is first drained with medication or by <strong>endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)<\/strong> method.<\/li>\n<li>The intraoral area is cleaned with antiseptic solutions and protected from pressure and trauma.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Closing_the_Opening\"><\/span>2. Closing the Opening<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The closure method varies according to the size and location of the opening:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Small openings<\/strong> (smaller than 5 mm) can sometimes be closed with stitches only.<\/li>\n<li>For larger openings, <strong>flaps (covers) taken from intraoral tissues<\/strong> are used.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Buccal flap:<\/strong> Closure is made by sliding tissue from inside the cheek.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Palatal flap:<\/strong> The opening is covered with healthy tissue taken from the palate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buccal fat pad (BFP):<\/strong> Closure can be made by sliding the natural fat tissue inside the cheek.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>In some special cases, a more solid repair is made using <strong>cartilage (from the ear or septum)<\/strong> or <strong>bone graft<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"OAF_Developing_After_Implant_and_Sinus_Lift\"><\/span>OAF Developing After Implant and Sinus Lift<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Oroantral fistula can sometimes also occur due to <strong>the implant contacting the sinus<\/strong> or <strong>after sinus lift surgery<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIn this case, the sinus and opening are first repaired, and then <strong>4\u20136 months later<\/strong> when the bone tissue has healed, the implant is planned again.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Post-Surgery_Precautions\"><\/span>Post-Surgery Precautions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Nose blowing, vigorous coughing or sneezing<\/strong> should be avoided in the first weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smoking should not be done.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Activities such as air travel or diving that will cause <strong>pressure increase<\/strong> are not recommended.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Soft foods<\/strong> are preferred in the first days.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Antibiotics and painkillers<\/strong> recommended by the doctor should be taken regularly.<\/li>\n<li>Follow-up appointments should not be missed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Happens_If_Not_Treated\"><\/span>What Happens If Not Treated?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Untreated OAF can lead to <strong>chronic sinusitis<\/strong>, <strong>thickening and inflammation accumulation<\/strong> in the sinus mucosa, and sometimes <strong>bad breath and bone infection<\/strong>.<br \/>\nTherefore, early diagnosis and appropriate surgical repair are very important.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Oroantral fistula is <strong>often a simple but not-to-be-neglected condition<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIf diagnosed early, the closure procedure is short and the success rate is high.<br \/>\nWhen delayed, sinusitis develops and more complex surgeries may be required.<br \/>\nFor successful treatment, both <strong>closure of the opening<\/strong> and <strong>cleaning of the sinus<\/strong> should be planned together.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is an Oroantral Fistula? Why Does It Occur and How Is It Treated? Prof. Dr. Gediz Murat Serin \u2013 Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist What is an Oroantral Fistula (Oral\u2013Sinus Opening)? An oroantral fistula is the formation of an unwanted opening (passage) between the maxillary sinus located inside the upper jaw (maxilla) bone and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ent-diseases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1414"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1416,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1414\/revisions\/1416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}