Sinus Lift Bone Graft is a surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw where your molars and premolars are located. It’s sometimes called a sinus augmentation. The bone is inserted between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are found on either side of your nose. The sinus membrane has to be “lifted” upwards to make more room for the bone.
Why Do I Need A Sinus Lift Bone Graft?
When the bone height in the upper jaw is limited, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, a sinus lift procedure is required to put in dental implants. This can occur for many reasons including:
If a person has lost teeth in their upper jaw —especially the molars located in the back — do not have enough bone for implants to be placed. Because of the anatomy of the skull, the back of the upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw.
Bone loss as a result of because of Periodontal Disease, or gum disease.
The loss of a tooth could also lead to bone loss. Once there are no teeth in that place, bone begins to be absorbed back into the body. This commonly occurs when teeth have been missing for a long time as there usually is not enough bone left for implants to be placed.
The maxillary sinus might be too close to the upper jaw. The shape and the size of this sinus vary from person to person. The sinus also can get larger as you age.
Preparation For Sinus Lift
The bone used in a sinus lift may come from a piece of donor’s bone, bovine bone, porcine bone, or synthetic bone substitute.
X-rays will need to be taken before your sinus lift so the dentist can study your jaw and sinus. You also may need a particular type of computed tomography (CT) scan. This scan will allow the dentist to measure the height and width of your existing bone accurately, as well as the health of your sinus.
How A Sinus Lift Bone Graft Is Done
The specialist forms a small incision in the back of your mouth where the teeth used to be lifting the skin that covering the roof of your mouth. The specialist delicately pushes aside a membrane that lines the sinus. The material used for the bone graft is placed into the space where your sinuses used to be. Over the next 6 to 9 months, this material will fuse with your existing bone.
You will be comfortably anesthetized during your procedure, and your dentist will provide you with thorough instructions to help prevent discomfort during the healing process.
Follow-Up After A Sinus Lift Bone Graft
Some swelling and bleeding may occur following the procedure. Blowing your nose should be avoided as it can cause the bone-graft material to move, and loosen the stitches.
Saline spray may be given to you to keep the inner lining of your nose wet as well as prescribed medicine to stop congestion and inflammation. A paid medication, an antibiotic, and an antimicrobial mouthwash may also be prescribed to help prevent infection.
About 1 to 2 weeks after your sinus lift you will go back to see your doctor so they can examine the surgical site and remove stitches if they do not dissolve on their own.
After a sinus lift, you need to wait several months for the bony material to harden and integrate with your jaw. Depending on the grafting material used, implants may be placed in 9 up to 12 months.
Dr. Mauricio Hervas, Dr. Robert Shectman and Dr. Fabrianne Figueroa Cohen of Implantation Dental Center are the best specialist in South Florida. Any form of bone grafting can be complicated, so we recommend that you contact our Plantation dental office for a consultation. Call Implantation Dental Center today at (954) 476 0770.
