Sinus lifts are a common form of dental surgery carried out at David Madruga by oral surgeons or periodontists in order to provide a sufficient amount of bone under the upper jaw (maxillary sinus) for it to be possible for an implant to be fitted in. Sinus lifts Marylebone are recommended by your dentist if you do not have enough jawbone for an implant to be secured in.

What are sinus lifts?

Sinus lifts Marylebone refers to lifting up the upper jaw (also known as the maxillary sinus) in order to make space for new bone that is grafted from either another part of your body or using a synthetic bone material. The maxillary sinuses are cavities filled with air, located above the upper jaw. If you do not have a sufficient amount of upper jawbone, your dentist will be unable to anchor an implant properly making it difficult for the implant to function correctly and perform actions such as chewing.

What causes bone loss?

There are many possible reasons as to why you might experience loss of bone in the jaw including defects from birth, cancer and advanced periodontal disease. In the case of periodontal disease, your jawbone may have thinned down over time due to not being stimulated by the presence of a tooth; this is often seen in the case of tooth loss. Sinus lifts Marylebone are recommended by our dentist if you present less than 4-6 millimetres of bone in the back portion of your jaw and will be carried out prior to going ahead with an implant. Your dentist can determine whether you require a sinus lift when carrying out imaging studies such as X-rays as part of your implant process. If they identify that you do not have sufficient bone, they will carry out the sinus lift and then proceed with the implant.

Procedure

There are several different methods of sinus lift surgery, each dependent on how much bone you have in your jaw during your consultation. Usually, a sinus lift procedure begins with your oral surgeon giving you an oral or intravenous sedative, or a local anaesthetic to numb the area that is going to be treated. Once the area is numb, the surgeon will make incisions in the back part of your gum tissue to expose the bone and cut a small area of it, taking extra precautions to not cut through any sinus membranes. The oral surgeon then lifts the cut portion of the bone up into the sinus thus raising the sinus membrane. Bone graft is then inserted in the newly lifted area which is taken from a different part of your body or using a synthetic bone material and your surgeon will then apply stitches to close the incisions they have made on your gum.

Recovery

If your sinus lift surgery is successful, your oral surgeon will prescribe you a course of antibiotics to prevent the occurrence of any infections. It is also recommended that you avoid blowing your nose too much as this can affect the placement of the bone graft. It is also important to avoid brushing your teeth for a period of time to not cause any bleeding. If you require, you can take over-the-counter painkillers to relieve any discomfort post-surgery. Finally, it is highly important to avoid smoking after the surgery which can impair the healing time.