Sinus Lift

In the case of placing implants in the maxilla, often the lack of bone separating the oral cavity from the air space of the maxillary sinus presents an obstacle to such treatment. The latest achievements of dental surgery allow us to solve this problem by carrying out the procedure known as the sinus lift.

What are the maxillary sinuses?

These are the air spaces located in the maxilla, above the roots of the upper teeth, most often reaching from the teeth #4 to #7. They belong to the group of paranasal sinuses, and they allow us to freely breathe warm and moist air through the connection with the nasal cavity. Therefore, these structures are necessary, but sometimes their anatomy combined with bone atrophy results in an insufficient level of bone in which the implant can be inserted, and it cannot be located in the sinus cavity.

The Sinus Lift Procedure

 In the case of an insufficient level of bone as described above, into which the implantologist plans to place the implant, a sinus lift should be performed by one of two available methods. The main purpose of this treatment is to lift the bone level, which forms the floor of the sinus in a controlled manner, which will allow for new bone formation in the resulting space by introducing the bone substitute material.

The "closed" (osteotomic) method

This method involves the introduction of bone grafting material through the opening made for the implant. It is a solution that allows the limited increase of the bone level but is characterized by the undoubted advantage of using the same opening that is needed to insert the implant, making the treatment less traumatic. What's more, the implant is placed during the same visit. Due to the lack of optimal visibility of the performed operation, occasionally sinus perforation occurs. In this case, the doctor is forced to perform the procedure with the second method described.

Open method

This method consists of introducing the bone substitute material through a specially prepared posterior opening. In contrast to the "closed" method, this procedure involves an additional incision and an access opening to the sinus, which is an inconvenience, but it provides excellent visibility and allows for a much greater increase in bone level. Individual decisions are made regarding the implantation - in the cases in which there was enough bone before the procedure and the sinus floor was raised slightly, the implantologist may introduce implants at the same visit, as in the case of the "closed" method. In a situation of greater intervention, implantation must be postponed for a period of usually several months.

Correct radiological assessment of the patient allows the doctor to make the right therapeutic decision. Among the many possibilities of modern surgery, even in cases that formerly excluded prosthetic implant treatment, it is now possible to take actions that can increase bone levels in a safe and predictable way to maintain the proper implant stabilization. The use of minimally invasive methods allows for a quick and effective treatment that does not force the patient to wait for a dream smile.