Sinus Lift
The popularity of sinus lifts has risen dramatically in recent years as people have turned to dental implants to replace missing teeth. The need for sinus lifts comes in when there is not enough bone in the upper jaw or sinuses to anchor a dental implant.
The procedure is done by a surgeon or periodontist. It can help any number of people who have lost back teeth molars or who have lost bone mass due to gum disease. If teeth are missing for extended periods of time, the remaining bone can be re-absorbed into the body leaving too little left to anchor a dental implant.
Bone used for a sinus lift is generally harvested from the patient’s body or that of a medical cadaver. Bone taken from the patient will come from the mouth mostly, but could come from other body areas such as the hip. Once the replacement bone is ready, the surgeon will expose the bone in the back of the mouth by cutting the gum tissue where the back teeth were located. A membrane lining the sinus will be opened and separated from the jaw gently. Bone-graft materials will be packed into the opening where the sinus was previously. Once the hole is filled, the tissue will be stitched closed. Implants can go in about five to nine months later.
Patients should expect swelling and bleeding in the mouth – and possibly the nasal passages – following sinus lift surgery. Sneezing hard may cause the bone graft to shift or stitches to tear. The practicing dentist will have medications to help you not sneeze as well as sprays to keep the nasal passages moist. People with seasonal allergies should schedule procedures at appropriate times of the year to avoid sneezing while the body heals.
Stitches can be removed after about two weeks. At that time, the surgical area will be evaluated to make sure it is healing properly and no infection has taken hold. The body will need between five and nine months to sufficiently heal before implants can be placed. However, some specialists have started using a new technique that employs proteins called growth factors to help the bone harden faster.
Sinus lift surgery is a relatively minor procedure that usually has no complications. But that doesn’t mean every procedure will go off smoothly. Pain and swelling that gets worse after the procedure should be reported to the surgeon who performed the surgery. Persistent bleeding, the emergence of bony material and development of fevers are all reasons to seek medical assistance.
If the sinus membrane tears or is punctured the process could be severely hampered. The surgeon will have to stitch it back together which will take time and require additional recovery. The sinus lift can then be tried again. Infection is another risk that is always present with any type of surgery. The occurrence is relatively low with sinus lifts, especially if the patient takes great care to follow recovery procedures. Sometimes the grafted bone won’t join with the existing bone rendering the lift useless and the procedure will have to be repeated.