The road to strong and healthy dental implants isn’t always simple, but when needed, the sinus lift procedure is definitely a step on the road to a fuller and healthy smile. This relatively common procedure makes it possible to take full advantage of dental implants, even after significant bone loss.

WHAT IS THE SINUS LIFTING PROCEDURE?

Sinus lift, also called sinus lift/augmentation, is a procedure that facilitates the placement of dental implants. Some patients need dental implants but experience bone loss, so they don’t have enough bone support needed for implants. You can get the support you need by having sinus augmentation surgery.

This procedure increases the amount of bone in the upper jaw required for dental implants. This is one of the most common bone grafting procedures for dental implant patients.

Often times, sinus augmentation is one of many procedures performed during a full mouth reconstruction.

WHO NEEDS SINUS AUGMENTATION?

In the last 25 years, dental implants have become more readily available, making them an increasingly common dental procedure. As more people get dental implants to replace missing teeth, sinus lifts have also become more common.

Sinine augmentation may be necessary if your teeth and jawbone are missing behind your jaw, near your sinuses. The jawbone and teeth in this area can be lost due to birth defects, periodontal disease, cancer, other medical conditions, or simply due to the natural healing process. Sinus lifting can also be used if your sinuses are too close to your upper jaw and you need more space to place the implant.

WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE SINUS AUGMENTATION?

A sinus lift is basically a bone transplant. You use a bone from somewhere and you use it in your upper jaw. The first step is to determine where the bone used in surgery will come from. The most common bone types used in sinus lift surgeries are:

• • Bone taken from your own body (autogenous bone) is usually taken from your mouth or other parts of your body.
  • Bone taken from a cadaver (allogeneic bone)
  • Cow bone (xenograft)
  • A synthetic bone-like material
  • Once the bone source has been determined, our experts will take great care to examine the anatomy of your jaw and sinus. Accurate measurements will be taken to assess the height and width of your existing bone and to evaluate your sinus. After your doctor and you choose the bone to be used, the procedure will proceed.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING SINUS AUGMENTATION?

Sinus lifting is a safe and simple procedure. The entire process takes between 90 minutes and two hours.

• • • First of all, the patient is anesthetized with local and/or general anesthesia. It can use nitrous oxide if needed, but this is less common.
    • Then our dentist will cut the gum tissue where your back teeth used to be to expose the jawbone.
    • With the tissue removed and the jawbone exposed, our physician will cut a small circle in the bone where they can gently push the lining of the sinuses.
    • As the bone fragment is lifted into the sinus cavity, the hole is filled with a predetermined bone graft.
    • After this is done, the procedure is completed and our doctor closes the incision with stitches.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SINUS AUGMENTATION?

Patients can go home after waking up from anesthesia. After a sinus lift procedure, most patients experience some swelling and bleeding, but little discomfort. The most important part of healing is keeping the bone graft in place, so it’s important to avoid blowing your nose (or sneezing if possible). Any of these can cause the bone graft material to move and loosen the sutures.

When you get home, you’ll likely receive a saline spray to keep your nose moist, a prescription to prevent congestion and swelling, a prescription for pain medication, an antibiotic, and/or an antimicrobial mouthwash to help prevent infection. Most patients will be in bed with ice around the area for about a day until they can resume normal activities.

You will have a control appointment with us 7-10 days after the surgery. During this appointment, our specialist will examine the surgical site and may remove stitches that do not dissolve on their own. In some cases, patients are asked to return several more times to make sure the area is healing properly and to take the necessary X-ray images.

Full recovery from a sinus lift takes at least 6 months for the sinuses to heal and the bone to be strong enough to support dental implants. Although the process may seem slow, you are working for results that will last a lifetime.

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE AGAIN POSSIBLE

Although sinus lift surgery may seem like a big undertaking, those who have experienced it can reap the benefits says it’s totally worth it. To place dental implants, you must have a supporting base. For many patients, the only way to achieve this adequate support system is a sinus augmentation procedure.

This relatively new, but effective, surgery is the answer to patients who have no other way to support their dental implants. With sinus augmentation, you can enjoy all the benefits of natural, strong and beautiful teeth – even if you have missing or failing jawbones. Our surgical team will guide you every step of the way to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

You can call us for more information about sinus lifting.