Sinus augmentation is an invasive surgery in which bone is added to your upper jaw, in the area of your molars and premolars, and right below the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. It's sometimes called a sinus "lift". This treatment is necessary if you need dental implants in the upper back part of your mouth but don’t have sufficient bone supply to anchor one. 

 

Here’s how it works:

 

Your periodontist will first numb the area with local anesthetic. He’ll then use a scalpel to make an incision in your gums and gently pull them back to expose the jaw bone. 

 

Next, he’ll cut a piece of bone in the form of a trap door using an advanced dental technology called piezosurgery. It involves an ultrasonic tip that releases micro-vibrations. These vibrations help to cut bone while minimizing trauma to nearby soft tissue. The small piece of bone will be pushed back to lift your sinus. This will create an empty space for bone to grow.

 

Following this step, your periodontist will fill the space with bone grafting material that will be moistened with anesthetic or saline solution. He’ll either use an allograft or xenograft. An allograft comes from cadaver (human) bone. An xenograft comes from an animal usually bovine (cow) bone.

 

Once the space is packed with bone grafting material, your periodontist will start stitching you back up by suturing the gum flaps back together tightly over the grafted area. Saline solution will be squirted around the stitches to rinse the area.

 

On average, bone grafts take about six months to fully harden. During this time, you may be asked to come back a few times to the dental office to check on your healing progress. If you do not have dissolvable sutures, you’ll have to make an appointment the following week to get them removed.

 

To make an appointment for a sinus augmentation, contact us today.