Dental implants have vastly grown in popularity over the last fifteen years, and the team here at Oldmeldrum Dental is seeing more and more people opting for this excellent tooth replacement system over other more traditional forms of false teeth. However, before some patients undergo the surgery for implants, they might need a sinus lift. So, what is a sinus lift and will you need one? Let’s take a look.
What is a sinus lift?
A sinus lift, also known as a sinus augmentation, is a type of surgery that makes putting in dental implants easier for our dentist in Aberdeenshire. This is because some patients don’t have enough bone in place for the implants to embed correctly due to bone loss, which can occur for many reasons.
A sinus lift actually increases the amount of bone in the upper jaw by adding additional bone to the area between your molars and premolars. For enough space to be made, the sinus membrane must be moved up or ‘lifted’ hence the name. This practice must be done by someone well trained for it, and luckily we here at Oldmeldrum Dental have the team for the job.
Do you need a sinus lift?
If we have done the initial consultation for your dental implants and it has been found by our dentist in Aberdeenshire that you do not have enough bone in the upper jaw or that your jaw is actually too close to your sinus, then we will likely recommend a sinus lift. Now, of course, you might be wondering why you have lost bone density, and this is an excellent question. A few of the usual bone loss culprits are the loss of teeth, bone reabsorption and periodontal gum disease.
Preparing for your sinus surgery
Of course, our dentist will go through all the details for your specific case with you, but just so you get a general idea, here are some key pointers.
First, we need to find out where we are doing to get the required bone from; the most commonly used bone grafts are xenografts (from the crown bone), allografts (cadaver bone) and autografts (usually the mouth).
We will take lots of images and x-rays to work out precisely what it is we need to do for your specific case.
How is the surgery performed?
We want all our patients to feel confident and clued up before going into any surgery, so you can always ask our dentist in Aberdeenshire about anything you’re unsure of. Nevertheless, here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what happens.
The gum tissue is cut and then raised, which reveals the bone underneath it. Our dentist will cut a tiny hole in the bone, lift the bone to the sinus cavity and fill the hole with a bone graft. Finally, the area will be closed.
You will then need the area to heal, which can take between 4 and 12 months; this is very much an individual process and varies from case to case.