On occasion dental implants require more bone in the upper jaw to hold or house the dental implant. When such instances occur, a sinus augmentation or a sinus lift is often done to add more foundation for the implant anchor on the upper portion of the jaw, called the maxilla. The objective of this oral gum surgery is to graft ample bone material onto the maxilla allowing the base of the dental implant more stability. This bone material is added between the patient's jaw and the maxillary sinuses (located on the either side of the nose).The sinus membrane must first be shifted upward (or lifted) to make further room for the grafted bone material to thoroughly integrate and heal properly.

Where does the Boney Material Come From?

With today's advancements in aesthetic dental technology, there are multiple techniques to accomplish a proper sinus augmentation. It is up to your oral surgeon to identify the region where the healthiest bone for grafting will be taken from. By exposing the patient's lateral boney wall of the sinus, your surgeon will inspect the depth and quality of this bone and often take a section that minimizes any future complications from this grafting process. The bone graft will then be placed into the space he or she created for the transplant into the sinus. The iliac crest is another area oral surgeons might go to for an autogenously bone graft and becoming more popular today is the use of artificial bone grafting material.

In an attempt to employ less invasive techniques, some implant surgeons use osteotomes (an instrument used for cutting or preparing bone) in which sinus membranes are being lifted by gently tapping the sinus floor. Same as the more conventional bone grafting techniques, this osteoplastic procedure is used to stimulate bone growth on the sinus floor or the upper portion of the jaw to support dental implants.

Issues of swelling and bleeding may happen after most bone sinus augmentation procedures. To treat this, saline sprays are recommended to the inner lining of the nose and a anti-sneezing medication can be prescribed to prevent sneezing. Pain medicine, antibiotic or other antiimicrobial drugs are also prescribed to inhibit infection and allow for faster recovery times.

Approximately six to 10 months are allotted for the healing process after a sinus augmentation procedure and the implant dentist considers moving forward with the dental implant procedure. It is important that the new bone becomes an integral part of the patient's natural sinus floor.

Who Should Perform Sinus Lift

Yes this oral surgery sounds very complicated and you should be cautious before continuing with any type of dental surgery in Philadelphia or any other city for that matter. You will find many highly trained oral surgeons in Philadelphia that can perform bone grafting in an office environment using just a local anesthesia. This cosmetic dental surgery is less complex than one may think providing you have hired a highly trained oral surgeon in Philadelphia. The ADA.org can recommend a few Philadelphia periodontist and oral surgeons with extensive experience. Patients should secure an appointment with these practitioners and request for a well thought-out surgical plan that solicits your input and opinion as well. This is a procedure that only skilled oral surgeons in Philadelphia should perform.

After the bone graft is thoroughly healed, the implant surgeon will then proceed with the dental implant process; placing titanium fixtures to anchor crowns that serves as tooth or teeth replacement. A much better dental replacement than the conventional dentures.