The words “sinus lift” often scare patients like you, as they’re largely unfamiliar with the procedure. Unsurprisingly, most patients assume it involves altering the sinuses to some degree. However, the procedure actually focuses more on your upper jawbone, rather than your sinus membrane itself. Your paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities that lie in the bone surrounding your nose. These structures help keep the air in your nose moist, while also supporting immune defense. When you lose structure in your upper jawbone, the sinuses closest to your jaw may lower, filling in that now-empty space. This presents a significant problem when attempting to place dental implants, as the screws may puncture your membrane! Fortunately, a sinus lift helps move your sinuses out of the way, allowing us to rebuild your jawbone structure with bone grafting material.
Why You May Need a Sinus Lift
The primary reason for needing a sinus lift is due to bone loss, which occurs in several ways.
- Tooth loss: Natural teeth have roots that embed into your jawbone to anchor your smile in place. However, when you chew or bite, these roots stimulate your jawbone, keeping it healthy and full. Losing teeth, whether due to decay, extraction, or trauma, results in gradual bone resorption (or loss) over time!
Gum disease: Periodontitis, or gum disease, involves the buildup of bacteria on your gums. When left untreated, the bacteria eat away at your soft tissues, even affecting the surrounding bone. Not only does this cause tooth loss, but it can also spread through your jaw, reducing your bone structure.- Jawbone injury: Trauma to the jaw or sinuses may result in bone loss as well. Most commonly, this type of bone loss is associated with a broken jawbone or facial injury that affects the density of your surrounding bone.
Additionally, some patients are just born with naturally large sinuses, or their membranes may expand over time. In all of these cases, a sinus lift will likely be necessary for implant placement.
Understanding The Sinus Lift
At Bivona Family Dental, we perform sinus lift procedures using one of two methods. During your free implant consultation, we’ll take a 3D X-ray of your smile to determine your available bone density. The procedure we use depends largely on the amount of bone lost in your upper jaw.
Direct Sinus Lift
This approach is the more straightforward of the two and is only utilized when you’ve experienced significant jawbone loss.
First, we use a local anesthetic to ensure your comfort. For individuals with dental phobias, we may utilize our innovative sedation options, depending on the urgency of your sinus lift procedure.
Once you’re ready, we create a small window in your upper bone, revealing your sinus membrane. Then, using specialized dental tools, we gently lift the membrane upwards and fill the remaining space with bone grafting material. Bone grafting rebuilds lost bone, creating a dense and strong foundation for your implants.
However, this process is generally invasive and requires ample healing time before we proceed with your implant procedure. Typically, in around 3 months, your bone will be strong enough to support a dental implant!
Indirect Sinus Lift
When there is a smaller amount of bone lost, we can use an indirect sinus lift!
Also known as a “sinus bump”, this procedure is less invasive and allows for faster healing. Instead of creating a window in your upper jaw, we simply create a hole in your bone through your gums, where your future implant will be placed. Then, using the same tools, we gently lift your membrane up and out of the way, filling the now-empty space with bone grafting material.
Because this procedure disturbs less of your bone tissue, we’re sometimes able to place dental implants in your bone immediately after your sinus bump!
Our Dental Implant Options in Jasper, AL
At Bivona Family Dental, we use both conventional dental implants and mini dental implants.
Conventional implants are large and require ample bone structure to stabilize. Unfortunately, most patients looking to replace missing teeth lack the necessary bone structure, typically requiring additional procedures like a sinus lift. Due to the amount of bone necessary, we often use the direct sinus lift approach, allowing us to restore more of your upper jawbone.
In contrast, mini dental implants are much smaller and secure even in minimal bone. While mini implants lower the need for sinus lifts, some patients may still need one to rebuild lost bone. Fortunately, due to their small diameter and simple placement process, we can use a sinus bump instead of the more invasive approach!
While not everyone is eligible for mini implants or sinus bumps, they’re an excellent alternative for those in need of a less invasive process.
Visit Bivona Family Dental To Learn if You Need a Sinus Lift
If you have missing teeth that you’re looking to replace, you may need a sinus lift! Whether direct or indirect, a sinus lift involves moving your sinus membrane out of the way and rebuilding your lost bone. When using mini dental implants, we may even be able to use a less invasive sinus bump, allowing for faster healing.
Book a free consultation today to learn if you need a sinus lift procedure before restoring your smile!
Follow Bivona Family Dental on Instagram and Facebook to explore the dental implant process.
