Buccal pad of fat and its applications in oral and maxillofacial surgery: a review of published literature (February) 2004 to (July) 2009

This review of the literature was performed to study the frequency and preference of usage of the buccal fat pad (BFP) in oral and maxillofacial reconstruction and to determine its potential versatility in various clinical applications. A computerized literature search using Medline, the JGate@Helinet database, and the Google internet search engine was performed for all relevant articles with specific keywords from February 2004 to July 2009. Focus was on the use of BFP regarding size, location, and types of defects and success and failure rates for various applications. It was found that BFP has been used most commonly for closure of oroantral communications/fistula, followed by reconstruction of maxillary defects; with closure of primary clefts, coverage of mucosal defects, etc. being other uses. Studies suggested that owing to favorable anatomic location, high vascularity, ease of handling, and low failure rate, the BFP has become the flap of choice for reconstruction of various oral defects. The size limitation of the BFP must be known to permit successful outcome. The results have been encouraging for clinicians to make use of potential benefits of the BFP in closure of defects in the oral and maxillofacial region.