Sinus Lift Surgery – Sinus Augmentation
A sinus lift is surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars. It’s sometimes called a sinus augmentation. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or “lifted.” A sinus lift usually is done by a specialist. This could be either an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or a periodontist.
A bone graft is a surgical procedure used to fix problems with bones or joints. Bone grafting, or transplanting of bone tissue, is beneficial in fixing bones that are damaged from trauma, or problem joints. It’s also useful for growing bone around an implanted device, such as a total knee replacement. A bone graft may fill a void where bone is absent or help provide structural stability.
Some people do not have enough healthy natural bone to support dental implants. Natural bone insufficiency can be caused by:
- Gum disease
- Tooth development defects
- Wearing dentures long term
- An injury to the face or trauma
- Spaces left empty in the mouth after teeth are removed
- Dental procedures where efforts were not made to restore natural bone
Several techniques are used to rebuild bone, restore your natural jaw line and smile, and provide a strong and sturdy foundation for implant-supported teeth. Most patients proceed with everyday life and work often by the next day and continue throughout the months in between dentist appointments.
For those who are missing one or more teeth, the cosmetic effect of a dental implant is almost unbeatable. Dental implants look and function the same as a regular tooth, and a successful implant is just about undetectable. It is always important, however, to make sure that you understand all the various aspects of an oral surgery, and dental implants are no different. One of the main things to be aware of is the possibility of needing a bone graft for dental implants.
A dental implant basically has two pieces: a metal cylinder that is placed into the jaw bone and functions like the root of the tooth, and an abutment that screws into the first piece. A crown is then placed on the abutment, creating the appearance of a tooth.
Sinus Lift; Missing upper back teeth are among the most difficult to restore. When the back teeth in the upper jaw are missing the sinus cavity becomes larger as the natural bone deteriorates over time. A sinus lift, also called sinus augmentation or sinus elevation, is a bone-augmentation procedure for patients who have insufficient natural bone in this area for dental implant placement. The procedure involves adding bone below the sinus so that one or more implants can be placed. The procedure does not affect speech, intonation or cause sinus problems.
What types of bone-graft materials are used with the sinus lift procedure?
Several different types of bone-grafting materials can be utilized with sinus lift surgery. In some cases, the patient’s own bone will be used, such as that taken from another location in their mouth or else from other bones [including the hip (iliac crest) or shin bone (tibia)]. In other instances, prepared bone (frozen bone, freeze-dried bone, demineralized freeze-dried bone), either human or from another species (i.e. bovine), can be purchased from a tissue bank for use. Another alternative involves the use of synthetically derived graft material such as hydroxyapatite.
