Elevate Your Smile with Sinus Lifts in Dallas, TX

Have you been asking yourself, “What is a sinus lift?” Perhaps you plan to get a dental implant and discovered that you require this procedure. Don’t worry, we got you covered. This page aims to explain everything you need to know about sinus lift to help you prepare before undergoing this surgical procedure.

What is a Sinus Lift?

A sinus lift, sometimes known as sinus augmentation, is a dental bone grafting procedure done on the upper jaw. It is are often performed by a dental specialist such as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or periodontist. A sinus lift is named as such because the procedure raises or lifts the sinus membrane to open a space for the bone.

Sinus lifts are best for people planning to get a dental implant but have suffered significant bone loss. The procedure aims to augment the bone density between the jaw and maxillary sinuses, making dental implants possible on your upper jaw.

If you’re wondering how a person can have a bone loss on the jaw, here are the possible reasons:

Sometimes, physiological factors like a small jawbone, large sinus, and proximity of adjacent teeth roots, also make a sinus lift necessary before a dental implant.

Types of Sinus Lift Procedure

A sinus lift surgery is usually carried out under local anesthetic or IV sedation. General anesthesia may be used in more complex cases. If you are planning to get a sinus lift surgery, you and your dentist must choose between a direct sinus lift procedure or an indirect sinus lift procedure.

Direct Sinus Lift (Lateral Window Technique)

This is a traditional sinus lift procedure wherein the oral surgeon makes an incision on the gum to expose the bone. The bone fragment is inserted into the sinus cavity through a window created in the sinus. The area underneath is where the bone graft will be positioned.

After the incision is sewn shut, the bone graft has four to six months to recover. In certain cases, the dental implant is inserted during the sinus lift operation.

Indirect Sinus Lift (Osteotome Technique)

A less invasive procedure, this technique creates an incision on the gum to form a socket in the bone. An osteotome (a tool similar to a chisel) is then used to tap the sinus floor into the right position.

Dental implants are commonly placed during indirect sinus lifts. The bone integration usually takes four to six months.

When you’ve decided which technique to use, the next step is to decide where to get the bone graft. There are three types of bone grafts used in a sinus lift procedure. It could be a bone from your own body (autogenous bone), a bone from a cadaver (allogenic bone), or a bone from a cow (xenograft).

Recovering from a Sinus Lift Surgery

The kind of sinus lift surgery you get will determine how long it takes you to recuperate. Most patients don’t have any significant restrictions other than avoiding physically demanding activities. You may have some bleeding from the mouth or nose, as well as some swelling around the surgery site. Besides these, you’ll experience minimal discomfort like most patients who have undergone the same surgery.

After the surgery, your surgeon may prescribe the following:

Enhance Facial Profile with Tailored Sinus Lift Procedures

At Contemporary Dentistry, we pride ourselves on providing tailored sinus lifts in Dallas, TX to suit your specific needs. We have expert surgeons capable of performing any sinus lift technique to help with your dental implants and enhance your facial profile.