A sinus lift is a common surgical procedure to provide sufficient bone under the maxillary (upper jaw) sinus for dental implant placement.
The bone inside the sinuses is lined by a thin membrane. This lining is raised or ‘lifted’ in sinus lift procedures to create space for bone and dental implants. This procedure can be performed either before or at the same time as implant placement.
Type of sinus lift procedure available
They are of two types:
1a. External approach without existing bone.
Grafting material will be added from the cheek side of your sinus to raise the membrane. The dental implant will not normally be placed until the bone has healed, and you will need another surgical procedure for this.
1b. External approach with some existing bone.
Grafting material will be added from the cheek side of your sinus to raise the membrane. Your dental implant can be placed at the same time.
- Internal approach with some existing bone.
Your sinus will be raised by gently tapping through the implant preparation site in your mouth. Grafting material might be pushed through the implant preparation site and your dental implant will be placed at the same time.
What grafting materials are used in sinus lift procedures?
Bone grafting materials from yourself, other human, animal, and synthetic sources can be easily used. The graft material creates a scaffold for your own bone to grow into. This process may take 4-12 months.
References:
- https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/sinus-lift-procedures/