Review Paper: The prevalence, etiology & management of Oroantral Fistula

Oroantral Fistula (OAF) is a pathologic and epithelialized path between the oral cavity and the maxillary sinus. Various reasons can lead to its development, the most common of which is the extracion of upper molar teeth. Any condition that leads to traumatized tooth extraction or conditions that make tooth extraction more difficult, such as: improper use of an dental elevator, teeth with long roots near the sinus, dental infections, etc., increase the probability of this problem.The most common age of occurrence of OAF is between 30 & 60 years old.most studies suggest that smaller fistulas have a chance of healing spontaneously, but larger types and those that persist for a longer period of time usually do not heal without intervention. It can lead to uncomfortable side effects such as pain, sinusitis, air escaping from the mouth to the nose, and even a change in the person's voice and overall discomfort in the patient. Various surgical and non-surgical treatments have been proposed for the management of OAF. Non- surgical treatments include blocking the area by placing different materials inside defect, and surgical treatments include closing the area with local and regional flaps or in combination with Autografts and Allografts, etc. The purpose of this review article is to investigate the etiology factors of OAF, the prevalence rate and the ways of its management by various surgical and non- surgical treatments.