What is a sinus lift?

In the back of the upper jaw we all have a maxillary sinus. This sinus is an air filled cavity above the roots of your upper back teeth. If you are missing the teeth under the sinus or it becomes necessary to remove them, there is often not a lot of bone thickness between the surface of the bone and the sinus. A dental implant cannot penetrate into the sinus so this lack of bone can mean that a dental implant cannot be placed. A sinus lift is a procedure that allows the surgeon to lift the membrane lining the sinus, tenting it up and allowing bone to be placed under the membrane to create the needed support for a dental implant. In many cases, this procedure can be completed at the same time a dental implant is placed or when a tooth is removed. If you are considering a dental implant, it is always a good idea to let an implant surgeon evaluate your tooth before it is removed so that they can help determine your best option for sequencing the necessary treatment.

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