Sinus Lift

The maxillary sinuses are air filled cavities within the upper jaw that sit above the upper teeth. When these upper teeth are removed, there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. If you are looking at dental implants as a solution to replace missing teach this can be a potential limiting factor as implants need enough bone to hold them in place. When the sinus wall is very thin, it is impossible to place dental implants in this bone.

A sinus lift surgery is a solution to this problem. By raising the sinus floor upwards and placing in bone into the newly created space this creates a sufficient bony height for future implant placement. The sinus graft makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when years ago there was no other option than wearing loose dentures.

If enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well, sinus augmentations and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If not enough bone is available, the sinus augmentation will have to be performed first, then the graft will have to mature for several months. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.