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The human skull has several cavities or air spaces which are called "sinuses". They are part of the overall design of human beings to make the head lighter so that it can be supported on our neck. Sometimes the sinus are enlarged and intrude on areas where we want to place dental implants. We cannot place a dental implant into the sinus because we would just be placing it into an air cavity and nothing would hold it into place (although, very often, implants that are placed securely into solid bone will protrude a small way into the sinus) so when we encounter this problem, we place bone or bone growth stimulating material into the sinus.
This procedure really only affects the maxillary sinuses which are located just over the molar teeth in the upper jaw. There are no sinuses in the lower jaw. When the maxillary sinus prevents the placement of an implant, we merely open up the side of the sinus and raise the bottom portion of the sinus so it will fill in with bone. We can then go back several months later and place our dental implants in solid bone. Sometimes, there is enough bone to place the implants at the same time that you raise the floor of the sinus. This will save time.
There are some more conservative ways to grow bone in the sinus. We can do what is called an "Osteotome Lift" and just raise the floor of the sinus right over where we are placing an implant. This can be done without actually opening the sinus and healing and implant integration will then proceed as if the sinus was not in the way. Sinus lifts of all types have a high success rate and are commonly used today for promoting dental implant procedures.
Sinus Lift
What Is It?
A sinus lift, sometimes called a sinus augmentation, is surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars to make it taller. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or "lifted." A sinus lift usually is done by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or a periodontist.
What It's Used For
A sinus lift is done when there is not enough bone in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed. There are several reasons for this:
Many people who have lost teeth in their upper jaw — particularly the back teeth, or molars — do not have enough bone for implants to be placed. Because of the anatomy of the skull, the back of the upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw. Bone may have been lost because of periodontal (gum) disease. Once teeth are gone, bone begins to be resorbed (absorbed back into the body). If teeth have been missing for a long time, there often is not enough bone left to place implants. The maxillary sinus may be too close to the upper jaw for implants to be placed. The shape and the size of this sinus varies among individuals. In addition, the sinus can get larger as you age.
Sinus lifts have become common over the past 15 years as more people are getting dental implants to replace missing teeth.
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