A dental implant sinus lift is one of the few extra surgical procedures that could be indicated before implant surgery in certain cases.

When it comes to getting dental implants for missing teeth, we can’t look at our teeth in isolation. This is because our oral cavity is a complex environment containing several organs besides the teeth themselves. These include our speech organs and the soft and hard tissues that help regulate our vital functions, one of which is our sinuses. Like other organs occurring in close proximity to our teeth, our sinuses could also affect the dental implant placement process.

Hence, it’s very common to hear the terms sinus lift and dental implant occurring side by side. But what exactly is a sinus lift, and when is it needed? These are important questions that every implant recipient should be aware of.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the basics of a sinus lift, including what it is and why a sinus lift for dental implants could be required.

Context: What Are Maxillary Sinuses & How Could They Hinder Implant Surgery?

To truly understand the purpose of a sinus lift for dental implants, it’s important for us to step back a little and understand the anatomy of teeth in relation to the sinuses (specifically that of the maxillary sinuses).

Sinuses are air-filled spaces/sacs that are located at multiple positions throughout the skull. They perform various functions, such as balancing the weight of the skull, filtering the air as it passes through the nasal passages, preventing breathing infections, refining voice quality, etc.

When it comes to full mouth dental implants, however, the sinuses that are of utmost importance are the ‘maxillary sinuses’ — the ones that are located right above the upper jaw, near the cheekbones (such that each maxillary sinus is located on either side of the nose).

Now, the question is: how could these sinuses interfere with or hinder dental implant surgery?

It happens in cases where there’s significant upper jawbone atrophy (i.e. loss of the upper jawbone), especially at the extreme back portion of the jaw. When the upper jawbone deteriorates at its posterior edges, it results in a decrease in the jawbone in all dimensions (including the vertical dimension), and the jawbone gradually loses its height. When this keeps happening, the jawbone ultimately gets too shortened that, at one point in time, it starts to clash with the sinuses.

In cases of extreme maxillary atrophy, the sinuses would get too amalgamated into the jawbone that they would start occupying the spaces that were earlier occupied by the bone, necessitating a sinus lift.

Why’s A Sinus Lift Necessary?

Considering the above situation, it’s evident that the maxillary sinuses have become malpositioned (come too close to the jaw) due to severe jawbone loss. In this case, it’s important to address both the jawbone loss as well as the sinus malposition, as both of these issues would later hinder implant placement in the upper jaw and possibly incur a failed dental implant.

The first issue (i.e. jawbone loss) would typically be treated by bone grafts, where extra bone tissue is implanted into the areas where the jawbone has lost height and breadth in order to make the bone dense enough to be able to support the implant denture. However, bone grafts cannot be performed until and unless the sinuses are separated from the jaw, and this can only be done via a sinus lift!

A sinus lift, therefore, involves the ‘lifting’ of the sinus membranes from the areas where they’re clashing with the jawbone. This creates the necessary physical barrier between the sinuses and the jawbone required to perform a bone graft, as it’ll make room for the addition of extra bone material at the posterior ends of the jawbone. This explains why a sinus lift procedure may sometimes be necessary for dental implants.

Note that maxillary atrophy (and the resulting merging of the maxillary sinuses with the upper jaw) isn’t the only situation where a sinus lift may be indicated. Some people are born with an unusual anatomy where the sinuses are naturally situated very close to the upper jaw. Hence, sinus lifts also become necessary in such cases of congenital sinus malposition.

How’s A Sinus Lift Performed?

Now that we know the basics of a sinus lift, it’s time to discuss the actual procedure.

First of all, the patient’s eligibility and need for the sinus lift procedure needs to be confirmed, which will typically be done during your first consultation with your implant surgeon (who will first comprehensively evaluate your overall dental profile, then will look at specific signs that indicate the need for implant surgery).

Once it’s certain that the patient indeed requires a sinus lift and is healthy enough to undergo the procedure, the patient is called for surgery on the next visit.

A sinus lift is a minor (minimally invasive) surgical procedure. Hence, it’ll be performed under anaesthesia. The patient will be put under general anaesthesia to make the procedure comfortable. Small cuts are made into the gums, specifically near the gums surrounding the premolars and the molars, to expose the upper jaw. Through these incisions, a small hole is drilled into the upper jawbone to access the sinus membrane, which is carefully lifted away from the boundaries of the jawbone using specialised instruments and tools.

Extra care is taken during this lifting to ensure hygiene in order to prevent contamination (and infections) of the sinuses and surrounding areas.

Once the sinuses have been lifted and an adequate space is created between the jawbone and the sinuses, bone grafting is initiated, which follows its own technical procedure.

Conclusion

A sinus lift is an important pre-surgical procedure that’s indicated in certain cases of dental implant surgery (either due to the merging of sinuses into the implants due to maxillary atrophy or due to congenital malposition of the sinuses), without which implant surgery can’t be successfully performed.

To get more details about sinus lifts, schedule a complimentary consultation with Westcoast Implant Clinic, a premium dental practice located in Las Vegas, California. Get yourself evaluated by our expert implant surgeons and pave your way to a healthy smile!