A rare case of the wisdom-tooth erupting in the superior wall of the right maxillary sinus

Though there have been several reports of tooth eruption in the maxillary sinus, eruption in the superior wall of the maxillary sinus is very rare. In most cases, the inverted tooth is situated in the floor of the maxillary sinus.We encountered a rare case of a wisdom tooth erupting in the superior wall of the right maxillary sinus. The patient, a 21-year-old female, was referred with mobilization of the upper right first and second molars and a purulent dischage in the same gingival margin. Roentgenographic and computed tomographic examination revealed lower radiolucency in the right maxillary sinus than in the left, and a tooth-like structure in the posterior and inner regions of the superior wall of the same maxillary sinus. Clinical diagnosis was odontogenic maxillary sinusitis due to an infection of the erupted tooth in right maxillary sinus.Under general anesthesia, the erupted tooth was extracted and radical operation was performed according to Caldwell-Luc method, the removed tooth appeared to be the upper right wisdom tooth, based on the morphological findings and absence of an upper right wisdom tooth in the oral cavity.Postoperative recovery was without complication. There were no signs of recurrence 2 years after the operation.