Dental Implants - Sinus Lift
A successful Dental Implant operation cannot be undertaken unless you have sufficient depth of bone in your jaw. Unfortunately however if you have lost teeth the bone that once supported them becomes atrophic and looses substance. Frequently therefore there is insufficient bone left to support an implant. To increase the amount of bone in the upper jaw, we undertake a sinus lift. This procedure involves placing bone-graft material in the sinus cavity immediately above the upper jaw to increase the height and width of material into which we can place an implant.
We usually undertake this operation at the same time as we place the actual implant. You will be given both oral sedation and local anaesthesia so that the entire process is comfortable and pain-free. We begin by creating a flap in the tissue covering the gum where it boarders the sinuses. The Sinuses are then opened. Next, we lift the floor of the sinus cavity to create a space for the bone-graft material. Bone-graft material is then packed into the space and, the wound is closed with sutures.
We will usually then proceed to place the implant. Healing takes 6 months, which will also accommodate the time needed for the implants themselves to become fully ossified into the Jaw.
The Sinus lift is a well-established and routine pain-free operation. You may experience some slight swelling but this usually subsides in a day or two. Other side effects are rare.
