Sinus Lift
Encinitas, CA
 While we would love to give new sinuses to everyone, sometimes we cannot recommend implant surgery without some other procedures first. You may have been told you are not a good candidate for dental implants at all. One reason you may not be a good candidate for implants is because you have sinus issues - your sinuses may be too close to your jawbone.
That makes implant surgery more risky. You may also need additional bone added to your upper jaw for implant surgery to take place. If you want to have implant surgery, you may want to think about having a sinus lift. If you’re not sure what that is, let Encinitas Periodontics & Dental Implants tell you about sinus lifts.
What Is A Sinus Lift?
There are two reasons why a patient might want to undergo a sinus lift. You may need an implant, but you don’t have sufficient bone in your jaw to support an implant at the moment. You might also have sinuses that are so close to your jawbone that having an implant surgery will be difficult because of a possible infection. Sinus lifts allow us to move your sinus membrane away from your jawbone and lift it farther upward. We can then place bone grafts into your jawbone if you need it, or we can place implants. If you need bone grafts, we’ll give your mouth time to heal before we do the implants.
Why Are Sinus Lifts Needed?
Patients need to have a sinus lift for several reasons. Sometimes, patients must get restorative dental work done because of an accident or an injury that has caused trauma to the face. Patients may also need to get implants because they have lost teeth gradually due to tooth decay or gum disease.
Whether a patient has lost teeth suddenly or gradually over time, they need to have teeth in their mouths. If no implant is done, over time, the jawbone will lose bone mass, and may eventually lead to changes with the jawbone itself as well as facial changes. Implants screw directly into your jawbone, which keeps your jaw strong and healthy.
How Is A Sinus Lift Done?
Sinus lifts sound complicated, but in reality, the procedure is simple. We will first take an x-ray of your sinuses because we need to see how they are shaped in relationship to your jaw. We then decide if we need to put bone grafts into your jaw where the bone will come from. We can take the bone from your body, such as inside your mouth. We can also use cow bones or cadaver bones.
After we plan out your sinus lift, we make an incision in your gumline by the molars in your upper jaw. We move the gum tissue away from the area so we can drill a hole in your jaw. We use that hole to raise the sinus membrane. After we raise your sinuses, we can put bone grafts in the area if it is necessary. We then put sutures in the work and replace the gumline where it was originally. All that’s left now is for you to heal up and prepare for implant surgery.
When we finish with the sinus lift, we have to wait between four and nine months to make sure you are all healed. Then we can place the implants that will give your mouth a whole new look and save your jawbone. If you have questions about sinus lifts, why not give Encinitas Periodontics & Dental Implants a call today at 760-632-9055. |
