Sinus Lifts

What is a sinus lift?

A sinus lift is a procedure where the membrane in your sinus is gently lifted up, and a bone graft is placed in the area to facilitate an implant placement.

Why should I have a sinus lift?

You may need a sinus lift if you don’t have enough bone in your upper jaw to accommodate a conventional dental implant in the region.

Can I have the implant at the same time as the sinus lift?

You may be able to have an implant at the same time as the sinus lift, but it would depend on how much bone graft needs to be placed at the time to house the implant. If only a small amount of bone graft is required, then an implant can be placed at the same time. If a lot of graft needs to be placed during the sinus lift, then it may be best to allow the bone graft to unite with the surrounding native bone before placing the implant.

Why would I not have enough bone in the area?

When we get our teeth removed, the bone in the area gets resorbed by the body.  As a consequence, there may not be enough bone left if it has been a long time between tooth removal and implant placement.

What does a sinus lift procedure involve?

There are two types of sinus lift procedures. Direct and indirect sinus lifts.

Direct sinus lift is when we make an opening onto the side of the sinus wall and gently lift the membrane up and place some bone in the region. You may consider this procedure if you need a lot of bone to house the implant.

Indirect sinus lift is a procedure where the sinus membrane is gently lifted up through the socket the implant is prepared from. This procedure is performed when a small amount of bone graft is required to hold the implant.

Where will I have my sinus lift completed?

The sinus lift procedure will be performed while you are asleep under a General Anaesthetic in hospital.

How long is the recovery after a sinus lift? 

Every patient is different, but we recommend about 7 days to recover from the procedure. Our team will ensure you are given a medical certificate and appropriate pain relief.

What happens on the day of surgery?

We recommend that you mouthwash with Savacol the morning of the procedure and fast (nothing to eat or drink) for 6 hours prior to the scheduled procedure. You will need an adult to pick you up from the hospital and care for you for 24 hours after the procedure.