Sinus elevation

Sinus augmentation (also known as sinus lift or sinus graft) is an oral surgery procedure in which bone is added to the upper jaw, or maxilla, in the area of premolar and molar teeth. The goal of the surgery is to graft enough bone material onto the upper jaw to support the base of a dental implant. The procedure is usually performed in the dentist’s office with local anesthesia, requiring up to six months of healing for the sinus augmentation to support dental implants. However, many surgeons perform both the augmentation and dental implant simultaneously, to avoid the necessity of two surgeries.

What does  sinus elevation involves?

There are multiple ways to perform sinus augmentation. The procedure is performed from inside the patient’s mouth where the surgeon makes an incision into the gum, or gingiva. Once the incision is made, the surgeon then pulls back the gum tissue, exposing the lateral boney wall of the sinus. The surgeon then cuts a “window” to the sinus, which is covered by a thin membrane. The membrane is carefully lifted away, and bone graft material is placed into the newly created space. The bone material can be allogenic (from a tissue bank) or autogenous (taken from the patient). Synthetic materials may also be used.

Patients who have the following may be good candidates for sinus augmentation

•     Lost more than one tooth in the posterior maxilla.
•     Lost a significant amount of bone in the posterior maxilla.
•     Missing teeth due to genetics or birth defect.
•     Minus most of the maxillary teeth and need a strong sinus floor for multiple implants.