Some patients may need dental implants but do not have enough bone support for the procedure. In this situation, we perform sinus augmentation. Also known as sinus lift, this procedure makes it easier for us to place dental implants by increasing the amount of bone in your upper jaw. It is one of the most common procedures of bone grafting that we recommend to dental implant patients.
Primarily, sinus augmentation is necessary if you have missing teeth or deteriorated jawbone in the back of your jaw and near your sinuses. Such loss of teeth and jawbone may occur because of periodontal disease, birth defects, medical conditions, cancer, etc. We will also recommend this procedure if your sinuses rest closer to your upper jaw, and you may need more space to place the dental implant.
Before the procedure, we will determine which bone tissues to use for the augmentation. Most commonly, we use bone from your own body during the surgery. Other options such as bone from a cadaver or bovine may also be used in some cases. If nothing comes to the rescue, we use a synthetic bone-like material and begin the surgery.
This surgery is straightforward. The entire procedure takes 1.5-2 hours to complete. We will sedate you using local or general anesthesia. In some cases, we may also administer nitrous oxide, but it happens very rarely.
We will make a small incision in your gum tissue to expose your jawbone and raise it. Another incision will be made in your bone to gently push on the membrane of your sinuses. The bony piece will get lifted into the cavity space of the sinus. We will fill the hole with a bone graft and close the incision site with sutures.
We will wake you up from anesthesia, after which you can go back home and resume your daily activities. It is normal to experience some bleeding and swelling after the procedure. However, it doesn’t lead to any major discomfort.
During the recovery period, it is essential to keep your bone graft in place. Thus, you must avoid blowing your nose, or your stitches will be loosened. We will give you a saline spray to keep your nose moist. It is also used to prevent swelling and congestion. Use an antimicrobial mouthwash to keep infection at bay, and you can control swelling with the use of an ice pack.
Please reach out to Persimmon Dental Care in Dublin, CA, to have a consultation with our dentists. Please call us at (925) 999-8282 or schedule an online consultation, and we’ll guide you further.
MON - FRI 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
SAT - SUN Closed
