Sinus Lift Procedure
When premolars and molars in the upper jaw are removed, in long term the bone resorbs and the sinus gets bigger. This results in not having enough vertical height of the bone to place a dental implant.
At this stage, we need to move the sinus up to create a more vertical height for a dental implant. This could be done in two ways
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Crestal approach
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Lateral approach
Your dentist would discuss with you which approach could be suitable after examining your CBCT scan.
Crestal approach
In this method, the implant site is prepared in a similar way to the implant site preparation but before placing the implant, the sinus is gently tapped up to gain desired height. A bone graft material is placed before placing the implant. In a way, there is a possibility to place an implant on the same day of the sinus lift procedure. The implant then is left to heal for 3-4 months before a crown is placed.
Lateral approach
Sometimes, if the bone is very thin, your dentist creates a small window on the side of the site and the sinus is lifted gently up and then filled with bone graft material. It takes up to 8-12 months for the site to heal before placing a dental implant.