Why Might You Need Sinus Lift Surgery To Get Dental Implants, And What Can You Expect?

Dental implants are becoming more and more common as a means to replace missing teeth. With proper technique, implants have a success rate of over 97 percent. A well-placed implant can last virtually a lifetime.

A dental implant needs healthy bone to integrate into, otherwise it cannot withstand the chewing forces. In a lot of cases, particularly in the area of the upper back jaws, the height of the bone is lesser than required for implant placement. A procedure called a sinus lift is then carried out to facilitate bone regeneration.

What exactly is a sinus?

The sinuses are a pair of hollow spaces present in various bones of the skull. These hollow spaces serve two main purposes. The first is to reduce the weight of our skull, and second is to lend resonance and characteristics to our voices. The pair of sinuses most relevant during dental implant surgery are the maxillary sinuses. They are the largest amongst all other sinuses. These are present in the upper jaw on either side of the nose, just below your gums and the jawbone.

Why is a sinus lift procedure needed?

For the success and longevity of a dental implant, the size of the titanium screw plays an important role. The longer and wider the screw, the better it is. There is some changing information regarding the ideal size and width of an implant, but it is better to err on the side of bigger than required than risking failure.

A sinus lift procedure is generally done when the upper chewing teeth — the premolars and the molars — need to be replaced with implants. In many such cases, it may be so that the height of bone beneath the gums is less than ideal. In such cases, a sinus lift can be done in order to place an implant of the ideal length.

Why do some people have less bone than required?

The bone height can be reduced due to many reasons. The most common reason is that the particular tooth has been missing for a long time. When the tooth is lost, the bone in that area rapidly disintegrates and thus, the height of the bone is decreased. Other reasons are repeated infection in the area or loss of bone due to fracture and trauma.

Sometimes, if a tooth is difficult to remove, the dentist might need to drill and remove the surrounding bone to extract the tooth. This too can lead to a reduction in bone height. In cases where the bone seems insufficient on initial planning, a CBCT is commonly advised. This scan gives the exact dimensions of the amount of bone available.

How is the sinus lift procedure done?

A sinus lift is a minor oral surgical procedure, but it does carry the risk of complications if not carried out properly. A trained oral surgeon or a periodontist are the kinds of dentists who usually perform this procedure.

A sinus lift is done under local anesthesia. After numbing the area, the surgeon will cut through your gum by placing an incision and the underlying bone is exposed.

Now the surgeon cuts a window in the bone at the site where the implant is to be placed. After cutting the bony window, the surgeon gently lifts the membrane of the sinus and places artificial bone to gain height for implant placement. The gum is sutured back in place.

Depending upon the amount of bone height required to be gained, a sinus lift may be performed by an indirect approach or a direct approach. The implant is placed at the same time or at a later date, as deemed necessary by the surgeon. The entire procedure can take around 30 minutes to an hour.

Care to be taken after a sinus lift

• Post-surgical antibiotics and pain killers are usually prescribed for a few days depending,on the clinical situation.
• You may have some mild pain, discomfort, and some swelling after the procedure.
• A follow-up checkup after seven to 10 days for removing the sutures and evaluating recovery is also generally advisable.
• While there are no major restrictions, heavy lifting and aerobic exercises/yoga are to be avoided for a few days after the procedure.

Possible complications of sinus lift surgery

The commonest complication that can happen during a sinus lift is the tearing of the sinus membrane while separating and lifting it away from the bone. In case it happens, the surgeon can stitch it back and proceed with the next steps. Or they can decide to stitch the membrane and close the gums and repeat the procedure at a later date.

Another complication can be the infection of the sinus, leading to sinusitis. This again can generally be managed by medication.

In a small subset of the cases, if the bone graft does not survive, the surgery might need to be repeated at a later date.

Is a sinus lift procedure costly?

Conclusion

A sinus lift procedure is often the only way to make dental implant treatment possible in the upper back region of the jaws. The complexity and cost of the treatment may go up but the end result is generally considered well worth the effort. Decades of evidence about the success of the technique leave no room about the doubt of its efficacy or effectiveness.