The most common reason for a sinus lift is to prepare the premolar/molar site for dental implant placement. Additionally, a sinus lift is completed when there isn’t enough bone to place an implant without possibly violating the sinus.
So the sinus lift increases the amount of bone in the premolar and/or molar area. The sinus membrane is lifted and a bone graft is placed to accommodate a dental implant.
Don’t worry because it happens to everyone! This is the body’s natural response to tooth loss. Although it could also be caused by periodontal disease or trauma in some cases.
Once a tooth is removed the alveolar process begins to remodel. The vacant tooth socket collapses as it heals leaving a toothless area compromised in both height and width of surrounding bone. Plus the maxillary sinus expands, further diminishing the thickness of underlying bone.
The sinus lift strengthens the sinus floor and adds extra bone so more bone is available to support dental implants.
Undergoing sinus surgery has been shown to greatly increase your chances for successful implants that can last for years to come.
Initially, patients schedule a consultation and examination.
Diagnostics are run prior to surgery. A CBCT may be taken to map out the upper jaw and sinus and measure the sinus’s height and width. Subsequently, the surgeon wants to rule out sinus disease or pathology.
After the diagnostics are complete the surgery is scheduled.
It’s an outpatient procedure. Walk in and walk out. A few patients have minor discomfort but most patients are pleasantly surprised how easy and simple it is.
Post operative instructions are given and someone from the office calls to check on the patient the next day.
It takes about 6 months for the bone graft to become a part of the patient’s natural sinus floor. The implant is placed at this time.
However, the sinus lift and implant placement may be performed simultaneously in some cases to avoid two surgeries.
