Is an Attachable Oral Wound Dressing Effective at Closing an Acute Oroantral Communication?

BACKGROUND

An oroantral communication (OAC) is an acute opening after tooth extractions in the posterior maxilla that requires immediate closure. The search for a noninvasive and cost-effective OAC treatment method remains ongoing.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the effect of oral wound dressing (OWD) on acute OACs of 2-5 mm and compared it with suturing sterile gauze (SG) and plasma-rich fibrin (PRF).

STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, AND SAMPLE: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University. The sample included patients aged >18 years, a 2-5 mm wide OAC without previous maxillary sinus pathology or surgical operation.

PREDICTOR VARIABLE: The primary predictor variable was the closure method used: OWD, SG, or PRF. OWD is a new produced and commercially available product that has been used for closure of oral wounds after periodontal or surgical interventions.

MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLE: The primary outcome variable was OAC closure on postoperative day 30. The secondary outcomes were procedure duration and the pain scores of postoperative days 1, 3, and 7.

COVARIATES: The covariates were age and sex.

ANALYSES: Quantitative variables were compared between groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Qualitative variables were analyzed between groups using the Pearson's χ2 test. Results with a P value <.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

This study included 60 patients (30 females and 30 males). Clot formation was uneventful on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7 in all patients. OAC closure was successful in all patients on postoperative day 30. The success rate of OAC closure did not differ significantly between groups (P > .05). The surgical procedure duration was significantly shorter in the OWD group (1.2 ± 0.41 min) than in the SG (5.75 ± 0.97 min) and PRF (19.65 ± 2.74 min) groups (P < .001). Verbal analog scale scores differed significantly among the OWD (1.05 ± 1.43), SG (4.35 ± 2.85), and PRF (2.5 ± 1.82) groups on postoperative day 1 (P < .001).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: OWD is a less invasive and practical method for closing OACs.