If you wish to have healthy dental implants, the path isn’t always straightforward. Wherever necessary, sinus lift surgery is undoubtedly a step on the way to a healthy smile. This relatively standard procedure allows you to enjoy the full benefits of dental implants even if you have suffered significant bone resorption.

In this article, we provide each step of the sinus lift procedure to help you understand the most common questions in your mind.

Sinus Augmentation Procedure — What Is It?

The sinus augmentation procedure is also called the name sinus lift to make it easier to place dental implants in your upper jaw. Patients needing dental implants but have suffered from bone resorption do not have sufficient bone to support implant placements. You can achieve the support you need by having a sinus lift procedure.

This process increases the quantity of bone in the upper jaw required for implant placements. It is a bone graft surgery fairly standard among patients needing implants in their upper jaw. In many cases, sinus lifts are among the various procedures carried out during a full mouth reconstruction.

Who Requires Sinus Augmentation?

Sinus augmentation procedures are needed by people desiring to replace missing teeth in their upper jaw in the posterior regions. You may have lost teeth and jaw bone due to genetic issues, periodontal disease, cancer, or other medical issues. Sinus lifts are beneficial if your sinuses are too close to the upper jaw, and more space is needed to place dental implants.

What Happens Before a Sinus Lift?

A sinus lift surgery is, in reality, a bone graft to support a solid base for dental treatment. Bone from one place in your body is used for grafting in the upper jaw. The dentist in Monmouth Junction initially determines which bone should be used for the surgery.

The surgeon may decide to use bone from your body, from bovines, cadavers, or synthetic material. After identifying the source of the bone, the surgeon studies the anatomy of your sinus and jaw. Precise measurements are taken to evaluate the height and width of the existing bone to evaluate your sinus. After the surgeon has chosen which bone to use, they will move forward with the process.

What Happens During the Sinus Lift Procedure?

The sinus augmentation procedure is pretty straightforward and is performed at an oral surgeon’s office. The process requires between 90 minutes to a couple of hours.

You are sedated with local or general anesthesia to make you comfortable and ensure the procedure is not painful. After that, the surgeon cuts away the gum tissue where your posterior teeth were earlier positioned to expose the jawbone. After exposing the jawbone the surgeon cuts a small circle in the bone using it to push the membrane of the sinuses gently. While lifting the bony piece into the sinus cavity, the surgeon fills the hole with the bone graft material determined earlier. After accomplishing this process, the surgeon closes the incision with stitches.

What Happens after Sinus Lift Procedure?

You are allowed to go home after waking up from the anesthesia. Information about experiencing some swelling and bleeding, along with minimal discomfort, is provided by the surgeon. The most significant part of the recovery process is to retain the bone graft in place. Therefore you mustn’t blow your nose or sneeze if possible because these actions because the bone graft material to shift and loosen the stitches.

You receive a saline spray to keep your nose moist as you leave for home, along with a prescription to prevent swelling, painful conditions, congestion, and antibiotics. An antibacterial mouthwash is prescribed to avoid infections. You can expect to be in bed for a day or two with ice around the cheeks until you can resume your regular activities.

7 to 10 days after the sinus lift procedure, you must schedule a follow-up appointment with the dental specialist. During the appointment, a specialist examines the surgical site and removes any stitches that may not have dissolved. In some cases, you may be asked to return a few more times to ensure proper healing of the site and take x-ray images if required.

A sinus lift surgery requires at least six months for your sinuses to heal and strengthen the bone for implant placements. The process undoubtedly seems slow, and may even consider it a hassle. Still, if you are working towards lasting results, the process is entirely necessary to give you the implants you desire to replace missing teeth.

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