Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: extraction complications: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Dentistry · Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: extraction complications

Sample item

During extraction of an upper first molar, the palatal root tip disappears from view. The patient later has a nasal fluid leak, and a radiograph shows the root fragment in the maxillary antrum. What is the best management?

ALeave it to be expelled by coughingBRetrieve it, usually through the socket or a Caldwell-Luc approachCRadiotherapy to the sinusDPrescribe antibiotics only

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Retrieve it, usually through the socket or a Caldwell-Luc approach

A root displaced into the maxillary sinus can cause sinusitis and an oroantral communication. It should be retrieved, and the communication closed with a flap.

Option by option

A. Leave it to be expelled by coughing
Coughing will not clear a foreign body from the sinus.
B. Retrieve it, usually through the socket or a Caldwell-Luc approach (correct)
Correct. Retrieval and closure prevent sinusitis and fistula.
C. Radiotherapy to the sinus
Radiotherapy has no role in foreign body retrieval.
D. Prescribe antibiotics only
Antibiotics alone leave the nidus of infection.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is B, Retrieve it, usually through the socket or a Caldwell-Luc approach. A root displaced into the maxillary sinus can cause sinusitis and an oroantral communication.

Why is "Leave it to be expelled by coughing" not the answer?

Coughing will not clear a foreign body from the sinus.

Why is "Radiotherapy to the sinus" not the answer?

Radiotherapy has no role in foreign body retrieval.

Why is "Prescribe antibiotics only" not the answer?

Antibiotics alone leave the nidus of infection.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: extraction complications in Dentistry. It should be retrieved, and the communication closed with a flap.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: extraction complications?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.