Sinus Lift Flashcards
What is Sinus Lift?
Sinus lifts are frequently necessary for people wishing to have dental implants to replace their upper back teeth. Often bone in this area tends to be thinner and less suitable for dental implants, simply due to the anatomy of the skull. It is also possible to have a lack of bone in this area due to the shape of your sinuses as some people have bigger sinus cavities than others and the sinuses can increase in size with age.
Additionally, bone can be lost due to advanced gum disease and once teeth are removed then bone loss will naturally occur. If you lost teeth quite some time ago and have only just thought about having dental implants then it is likely that you will have suffered some bone loss. A lot of this bone loss occurs during the first year or so after tooth loss, which is why it is often better to have dental implants sooner rather than later after tooth loss.
Sinus Lift Surgery Procedure
Your sinuses are air-filled spaces located in your upper jaw near to the roots of your upper back teeth.
Often there is just a thin layer of bone separating your sinuses from your tooth roots, as it’s possible for bone loss in this area to occur due to disease or injury.
If you need to have upper teeth extracted, and wish to replace them with dental implants, you could need a sinus lift procedure to help build up the bone in this area.
Successful dental implants need to be inserted into a minimum amount of bone, and a sinus lift procedure or sinus augmentation raises the floor of the sinuses, enabling new bone to be formed.
This is one of the most common bone graft procedures for patients who have lost bone in their upper jaw. Through strengthening and increasing the bone in this location, the dental implant can be placed in the correct amount of strong and healthy bone.
Sinus lift surgery is carefully planned and every precaution will be taken to ensure its success. Although it is possible it may add a little additional time to your dental implant treatment, dental implants are a long-term option and are worth the extra effort.
How is a Sinus Lift Surgery Carried?
With the increasing popularity of dental implants, sinus lift surgery has become relatively common over the last ten to fifteen years and there is nothing to be concerned about if you do require this small surgical procedure. To do this, Dr. Rahmani will need to make:
A small incision will be made in the gums to expose the bone.
A small opening is cut into the bone itself, and the membrane covering your sinuses is pushed upwards.
This will allow him to see the membrane in between your sinuses and your jawbone as this membrane has to be carefully lifted upwards, creating sufficient room for additional bone material to be packed into the space.
The bone grafting material is likely to be artificial and may contain special proteins to help promote the growth of your own bone.
After a few months the bone graft should have fully integrated and healed, forming a strong and stable platform for your dental implants. Sometimes it is possible to carry out the sinus graft and the implant surgery at the same time, if only a small amount of bone needs to be added.
