SINUS LIFT WITH LATERAL WALL BONY WINDOW: COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ACCESS ANTROSTOMY. A BLINDED RANDOMIZED PRE-CLINICAL TRIAL

Maxillary sinus lift procedure with lateral wall bony window is now considered, among the pre-prosthetic surgical techniques, the one with the highest level of predictability. This blinded randomized trial, at a pre-clinical level, compared performances of rotating, piezoelectric, and DASK instruments for the antrostomy access to the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus to evaluate traumaticity and operative timing. Access antrostomy to sinus lift was performed on chicken eggs by 60 dental students divided randomly into three groups. Each group was asked to perform an antrostomy using conventional rotary instruments, piezoelectric surgery, and DASK instruments. The 2 test was used to compare perforations, while the analysis of variance (ANOVA), with subsequent comparison of the variances obtained by Fisher's LSD test, allowed for evaluation of the timings recorded. The total drilling rate was 18.5%, while the percentage recorded for each technique used was 16.6%, 33%, and 5% for rotary, piezoelectric, and DASK instruments, respectively. Lower timings have been observed with rotary instruments rather than piezoelectric inserts and DASK instruments. DASK instruments proved to be an interesting alternative in terms of minimally invasive surgery, while, as far as the time factor is concerned, the best performance was achieved with rotary instruments. Despite the lengthening of the execution, timing, and the high number of perforations, the characteristics of reduced injury and increased handling have made piezosurgery the best method to convey greater safety to the operators.