Sinus augmentation means a lifting surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars. For a successful dental implant, the quantity and quality of the bone need to be adequately studied, where the dental implant needs to be placed. Traditionally, the upper back jaw has been one of the toughest areas to successfully place dental implants due to lack of bone quantity and quality and the closeness to the sinus. If you've bone loss issue in that area due to periodontal disease or tooth loss, a specialist is used to do sinus lift, which adds bone between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses (either side of your nose). at our San Francisco dental office, we are well skilled dentists to deal with such procedures. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward or augmented. Sinus augmentation has become common during the last 15 years as more people get dental implants to replace missing teeth.
The Procedure Of Sinus Augmentation
Sinus augmentation surgery helps in raising the sinus floor and increasing bone for the placement of dental implants. Various techniques are used to build the sinus and allow for new bone to form. The bone used in a sinus lift is taken from your own body (autogenous bone), or a cadaver (allogeneic bone), or from cow bone (xenograft). You will also need X-rays taken before your sinus lift through which, the anatomy of your jaw and sinus can be studied. You also may require a particular type of computed tomography (CT) scan. This scan will allow the dentist to measure the height and width of your existing bone accurately and to evaluate the health of your sinus.
An incision is among the most frequently used technique that helps to display the bone. Further, a small circle is cut into the bone, and the bony piece is augmented into the sinus cavity, like a trap door, and space beneath is filled with bone graft material. Your periodontist (surgery specialist) will explain to you the different options for graft materials, which can regenerate lost bone and tissue. And then, the incision is closed and left for healing. The bone usually will be allowed to grow for about 4 to 12 months before dental implants are placed.
In a few cases, the dental implant can be placed along with the sinus augmentation. Undergoing sinus lift surgery helps in many successful dental implants that can last for years. In this process, many patients feel minimal discomfort during surgery.
The Need For Sinus Augmentation
A sinus lift is required where there is less bone height in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are closely connected to the jaw that hinders the dental implants from being placed. There are several reasons for this:
- For lost teeth in the upper jaw (back teeth, or molars), or people who have less bone for dental implants to be placed.
- Bone loss because of periodontal (gum) disease.
- Very often, tooth loss leads to bone loss, as well.
- The sinus also can get more substantial with aging.
Risks Factors Of Sinus Augmentation
Most of the patients feel a little discomfort after the surgery, which goes away within a few days. Risks of infection are quite limited in the case of sinus lifts since the dentist takes every precaution to prevent any infection. Precisely, there is usually no major risk related to sinus augmentation surgery.
Post-Sinus Augmentation Surgery Care
You may have some minor swelling in the surgery area, which usually disappears in a few days. It is also recommended not to blow your nose or sneeze forcefully, which may cause the bone-graft material to move, and loosen the stitches. Your dental surgeon will provide you saline sprays and prescribe medicine to prevent congestion and inflammation. You will also be given with painkillers, an antibiotic, and an antimicrobial mouthwash to prevent infection. It is natural to feel a little discomfort after the surgery, which is common to most surgeries. After 7 to 10 days, you need to go to your dental surgeon to examine the surgical site and remove stitches. Some specialists have started giving proteins to help the new bone harden faster. The platelet-rich plasma is taken from your blood before surgery and mixed with the graft and placed into your sinus. It provokes bone formation sans grafting. This process is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Therefore, while concluding, we may say that a sinus lift is a surgery that makes room for the bone, the sinus membrane is to be moved upward or augmented. You need to visit the surgeon at our San Francisco office, if your swelling or pain gets worse over time, or the bleeding does not stop within one to two days, or if the bleeding is bright red and continuous, or pain does not decrease over time, etc.
Implants Pro Center©, San Francisco, offers a consultation at your convenience. You can learn more about dental implants and Implant Pro Center's treatment approaches. Find out today how dental implants can change your life. At Implants Pro Center©, San Francisco, we take all primary dental and medical PPO insurances, along with Medicare, thereby decreasing your anxiety about the expense of dental implant treatment or any oral surgeries. A tremendously experienced and caring team will give life-long care, maintenance, and assistance. Implants Pro Center©, San Francisco, is also decked with all the modern technologies like CT-Scan, Intravenous Sedation, Platelet Rich Fibrin, Digital X-rays, etc. to present nothing less than the best of services. You will be entirely at ease for any of your surgeries.