A sinus lift is a form of surgery that may be needed to prepare your jawbone for dental implants in Ajax. It is a straightforward procedure that helps increase the amount of bone available for dental implants.
Why Is a Sinus Lift Necessary?
The sinus cavities are air-filled spaces located in the upper jaw above the back teeth. Often, the jawbone in this area is naturally thinner, and there isn’t enough bone to successfully insert dental implants in Whitby. Although dental implants are small, they need a specific amount of bone around them to fuse into the jawbone, creating a strong and stable anchorage point for a replacement tooth.
How Will I Know If I Need a Sinus Lift?
When you see our dental implant dentist in Newcastle for a consultation, they will need to assess the quality and quantity of bone available for implants. To do this, they take a cone beam CT scan that provides detailed 3-D images of your jaws and existing teeth. Our implant dentist can use these images to calculate the amount of bone available, and it’s used to plan implant placement accurately, making the best use of your jawbone where it is thicker and stronger.
If you need a bone graft, the images will show how much bone is needed for successful sinus augmentation. We can also discuss suitable bone graft material as the bone could be taken from another area in your body; it could be donor bone or artificial bone.
It’s quite common for people who want to replace their upper back teeth with dental implants in Pickering to need this procedure. The bone may also be deficient in this area because of periodontal disease, a bacterial infection that destroys gum tissue and jawbone and which can frequently lead to tooth loss.
If you had upper back teeth removed quite some time ago, your jawbone might have resorbed naturally. When you have your own teeth, the tooth roots extend into the jawbone, and every time you bite or chew, micro sensations send signals to the bone around the tooth root, ensuring that as old bone cells die off, they are continually renewed. When teeth are removed, the jawbone soon resorbs without this stimulation.
Why Is It Called a Sinus Lift?
The surgery is called a sinus lift or sinus augmentation because it lifts the membrane between your jawbone and sinus cavities. This creates more space between the jawbone and the membrane that can be packed with bone grafting material. The bone graft material soon bonds with your natural bone, so there is enough available for successful dental implant surgery in Oshawa.
What to Expect If You Need a Sinus Augmentation?
Before beginning surgery, our implant dentist in Clarington will numb the area to ensure you feel comfortable during the procedure. If you feel nervous, our dentists here at Durham Dental Solutions can discuss sedation dentistry to help you relax more fully. The actual procedure is relatively quick, as a small incision in the gum will expose the bone so the dentist can cut a tiny hole to access the sinus membrane. Once visible, they gently lift the sinus membrane and pack the newly created area with bone graft material. After the bone grafting material is placed, the gums are stitched shut and the area left to heal. There is no need to worry about the healing process as we can give you detailed instructions on how to care for your mouth and how to keep it clean, and of course, our friendly dental team is always here to offer more advice and help when needed.
