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Sinus Augmentation

A surgery that adds bone to your posterior upper jaw. The sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or “lifted,” which gives the surgery its name.

The maxillary sinuses are the air-filled spaces within the skull, precisely behind the cheekbones. A sinus lift sometimes called a sinus augmentation, is a surgery that adds bone to your posterior upper jaw. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or “lifted,” which gives the surgery its name.

Most Common Reasons for Needing a Sinus Lift

When your dental implants can’t be placed because you don’t have enough bone height in the upper jaw, or your sinuses are too close to the jaw, you will likely need a sinus lift. There are many reasons you might have experienced bone loss that causes your need for a sinus lift, some of which include:

Bone loss from periodontal (gum) disease
Lost teeth in your upper jaw – particularly your back teeth or molars
Reabsorption of bone into the body due to tooth loss
The maxillary sinus is too close to the upper jaw

Procedure

Sinus Lift Surgery - Creating an access to the Sinus. 3D illustration

The surgeon will cut the gum tissue where your back teeth used to be.

Sinus Lift Surgery - Creating an access to the Sinus. 3D illustration

The Tissue is raised, exposing the bone underneath.

Sinus Lift Surgery - Adding new bone. 3D illustration

The surgeon will cut a small circle in the bone. The hole will be filled with bone graft material.

The surgeon will close the incision with sutures, and the healing begins.

Sinus Lift Surgery - implant installation. 3D illustration
In general, the implants will be placed 4-12 months after your sinus lift surgery. This gives the added bone time to mesh with your existing bone. The amount of time between the surgery and implants depends on how much bone was added.
In certain cases, implants can be placed at the same time, shortening the healing process. Dr. Fokam will determine which option is best for you

What Happens After a Sinus Lift?

After the sinus lift procedure, you might have some swelling in the area where the bone was added, but most patients only experience a little discomfort. You might also experience some light bleeding from your nose or mouth in the days immediately following surgery.

Try Not to Blow Your Nose or Sneeze Frequently
We know sneezing isn’t really in your control, but it can’t hurt to try! Either of these things could cause the bone-graft material to move and loosen the stitches.
Keep Your Nose Moist
The surgeon might give you a saline spray to keep your nose moist, a prescription to prevent congestion and inflammation, a prescription for pain medicine, an antibiotic, and/or an antimicrobial mouthwash to help prevent infection.
Follow-up Appointment
You will have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon a few days after your surgery. In some cases, patients are asked to return a few more times for check-in. There’s no need to worry, though. This is just to make sure the area is healing properly

Pre & Post-Op Instructions

Download our pre-operatory and post-operatory instructions for your Sinus Augmentation procedure.

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