Sinus lift

by Eric Montana
(loma linda ca usa)

Loss of teeth often results in atrophia of the jaw; when there are no teeth in the area the bone gets thinner due to resorption. When there is little bone left, it is difficult to place implants at the site, since they need a certain amount of bone to be fixated to the site. Loss of bone can be a problem if the patient wants implants to replace their missing teeth; there is not enough bone between the oral cavity and sinus maxillaris, which is an anatomic normal structure/cavity just above the upper jaw. A sinus lift can be needed to solve this problem.

One of the readers has a concern regarding sinus lift:

I need a bilateral sinus lift in my upper jaw. I do not like the idea of a sinus lift. What is the best alternative to a sinus lift in order to place an implant on my maxillary bone?

Sinus floor elevation is a well-established method for increasing the height of an atrophic maxilla. Conventional elevation of the floor of sinus maxillaris is one of the most used techniques to enhance the bone volume in the posterior areas of the upper jaw. There are several methods;

Bone enhancement from the lateral part of the remaining alveolar bone; one can use autogene bone (bone from oneself) or bone substitute of some kind. Sinus lift where one uses a lateral window to allow placing the transplated bone of the bone substitute. Sinus lift done internally, where one uses an osteom to place the bone transpant to lift the sinus floor. And the implant dentistry is improving all the time, there are new and better methods coming up. Sinus lift has become an establiched treatment, and a lot of patients go through this. If you worry about your sinus lift, I advice you to contact your dentist or oral surgeon, and I'm sure they will provide you the information you need to go through your treatment. Good luck with your sinus lift!