Displacement of root in to the antrum can occur following fracture of a maxillary molar or premolar and ineffective attempts to retrieve the retained palatal root.A large antral cavity close to the root apices is a predisposing factor but the incidence of this complication could be reduced if the following basic rules were observed.
1.Do not apply forceps to a root below the antrum unless there is sufficient exposure of the root to allow the blades to grasp the root securely under direct supervision.
2.Be content to leave the apical third of maxillary molar palatal roots,unless there is an overriding indication for their removal.
Never attempt to retrieve a root below the antrum by passing an instrument up in to the tooth socket.Rather raise a buccal flap and remove bone to allow adequate access for the root to be elevated away from the antrum using a lateral approach.
Any root in the antrum requires removal as they always cause trouble and so the patient should be referred for sinus exploration and root retrieval.