When Is a Sinus Lift Necessary Before Getting Dental Implants? 

A sinus lift sounds like a cosmetic procedure, but it involves facial structures that aren’t visible. You have sinus cavities above your upper teeth and behind your cheeks, and another set sits just above the brows in your forehead. 

The sinuses behind your cheeks, the maxillary sinuses, may need lifting so you can get dental implants. Dr. Michael Nichols and his staff perform this procedure, usually with a local anesthetic, in the office at Oral & Facial Surgery of Mississippi in Flowood, Mississippi. 

Not everyone requires a sinus lift before they can get a dental implant. If you do, here’s what you need to know. 

It’s all about bone

When you get a dental implant, we place a titanium post in your jawbone. The bone heals and grows around the post, making it a prosthetic tooth root. Then, we mount a crown on the post, giving you a tooth as functional as a natural tooth. 

For this process to work, the bone receiving the implant must be strong enough to support it. When it’s not, you may need a bone graft to strengthen the bone. In your lower jawbone, that’s a straightforward process. 

Your upper jawbone, though, may be a different story. Some people don’t have enough space for the new bone.

It may be genetics. You may have large sinus cavities or a thinner-than-average upper jawbone, or some combination of those factors. Birth defects, cancer, and periodontal disease can also result in a thin upper jawbone. 

A sinus lift provides more space so new bone can grow. The procedure raises the membrane lining the bottom of your sinus cavity. With more space for the grafted bone to flourish, we can install your implant securely, giving you all the benefits of a strong tooth replacement. 

The benefits of dental implants

If you learn you need a sinus lift before you can get dental implants, you may wonder if it’s worth the bother. Maybe you should skip the implant? 

Implants are the best available option for replacing missing teeth for several reasons. For one, they’re a permanent solution, a significant advantage over other options. 

Implants also help your jawbone stay healthy by stimulating blood flow, which nourishes the bone. An implant doesn’t damage your other teeth; other types of tooth replacement can. 

Getting a dental implant may take longer, particularly if you need a sinus lift first, but you end up with a strong tooth replacement and better overall oral health. 

What to expect

With a sinus lift, patience is required. Depending on your situation, you may need multiple procedures. 

Here’s the basic process: 

• Dr. Nichols makes a small incision into your upper jawbone
• He pushes the membrane lining your sinus cavity upward
• He fills the space created with bone grafting material
• He closes the incision
• You go home and wait several months

Over time, the grafted material becomes part of your jawbone, strong enough to hold your implant. How long that takes varies from one person to the next. 

Dr. Nichols and his staff provide tailored, individualized care, so your plan is unique to your situation. If you have questions about what getting a sinus lift would be like for you, call us today to schedule an appointment at Oral & Facial Surgery of Mississippi.