Sinus Lift

When molars are removed from the upper jaw, bony remodeling and pressure from the air cavity in the maxilla (maxillary sinus) causes resorption of the bone that formerly helped keep the teeth in place. As a result, the sinuses become enlarged, a condition called maxillary sinus pneumatization. 

This condition usually develops over several years and may result in insufficient bone from the placement of dental implants. Dr. Stanford can perform a procedure called a “sinus lift” that can treat enlarged sinuses.

What is a sinus lift?

The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks and on top of the upper teeth. These sinuses are empty, air-filled spaces. Some of the roots of the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these upper teeth are removed there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. Dental implants need bone to hold them in place. When the sinus wall is very thin, it is impossible to place dental implants in this bone.

An important factor for a successful and long-lasting dental implant is the quality and quantity of jaw bone to which the implant will be placed into. If bone loss has occurred due to injury or periodontal disease, a sinus augmentation can raise the sinus floor and allow for new bone formation. A sinus lift is a common bone grafting procedure for patients with bone loss in the upper jaw. The procedure seeks to grow bone in the floor of the maxillary sinus above the bony ridge of the gum line that anchors the teeth in the upper jaw. This enables dental implants to be placed and secured in the new bone growth.

How is a sinus lift accomplished?

Most commonly, a small incision is made to expose the jaw bone. A small window is made in the bone, and the membrane lining the sinus is pushed upward. The underlying space is filled with a bone grafting material. After the bone graft is placed, a collagen membrane is placed and the incision is sutured and the healing process begins. You will be placed on sinus precautions for a period of several weeks.  After several months of healing, the bone graft is replaced with your own bone and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in the newly formed sinus bone.

In some instances, if there is enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the floor of the maxillary sinus, then  a sinus lift and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure.

Sinus augmentations are generally performed in the office, under local anesthesia or IV sedation.