Sinus Lift Treatment
Sometimes before a patient can undergo procedures such as bridges or implants, they have to undergo a sinus lift first.
The reason for this is that the sinus lift helps repair and strengthen the upper jaw so that it can support the implants or other procedure. This involves adding bone to the patient’s upper jaw and repositioning some sinus membrane.
Patients who suffer from gum disease may also suffer from bone loss and could need a sinus lift before undergoing other procedures.
How We Can Help You
Burke Dental is proud to serve patients in the Burke, Virginia area and we strive to give top-notch care. One of the ways we do this is by consulting with our patients before any procedures and going through all the options before deciding on the best course of action. Dr. Farzin Ghanavati, DDS and the team at Burke Dental meet with new patients and answer all questions they might have and address all of the patient’s concerns. If a patient is interested in a procedure that may require a sinus lift, Dr. Farzin Ghanavati, DDS , and his team will meet with them ahead of time and explain why the procedure is beneficial.
A Few Reasons Sinus Lifts May Be Needed
Many dental procedures involve the patient’s jawbone and these procedures require a certain amount of healthy jawline to work with. If a patient does not have enough healthy jawbone to work with, then they will likely need a sinus lift before they can proceed with whatever procedure they are pursuing. There are several reasons the jawbone may not be sufficiently strong enough and a sinus lift may be recommended, such as:
- The upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw. Because of this, insufficient bone is more common in the upper jaw, simply because there is less to start with. This can create a need for a sinus lift.
- Gum disease can weaken the bone as well as the gums. As the gums wear away, the jawbone may also be affected and start to deteriorate. If the gum damage goes untreated for a long period of time, then the jawbone may weaken and deteriorate, which can lead to tooth loss and the inability to sustain implants or other procedures.
- Tooth loss can lead to bone deterioration. If tooth loss is not addressed immediately, it can impact the jaw underneath the missing tooth. This can lead to the bone being exposed to air and germs, which can hasten deterioration.
- A person’s jaw can change as they age. Just like a person’s teeth and gums can change as they grow older, so can their jawbones and their sinuses. Age can cause the sinus cavity to get larger and impact the shape of the jawline and interfere with the placement of implants.
There are many reasons a sinus lift may be required, but whatever the reason a sinus lift allows a patient to access other types of procedures that can have a strong impact on their quality of life and overall oral health.
Types of Sinus Lifts
A sinus lift is a fairly simple procedure. The main variation involves the type of bone used for the procedure. There are three types of bone used for a sinus lift: autogenous, allogenic and xenograft.
- Autogenous bone is taken from the patient’s own body, often from the roof of the patient’s mouth or from the hip or knee.
- Allogenic bone is taken from the jawbone of a cadaver.
- Xenograft is sourced from another animal, such as bovine (cow) bone.
All About Sinus Lifts
When a patient books a consultation with Burke Dental, they will meet with our team to discuss the procedure that they want and what it may entail. For most procedures, this will involve preliminary dental x-rays so that Dr. Ghanavati and his team can assess the patient’s teeth and jawline and see exactly what they are working with. If the x-rays show severe jaw deterioration, then Dr. Ghanavati will recommend a sinus lift before going ahead with any other procedures.
When A Sinus Lift is Needed
Not all patients will need a sinus lift. A sinus lift is typically required only when there is not enough healthy bone in the upper jaw to sustain other procedures. Patients with a healthy jawbone and no blockage will generally not require a sinus lift. Sinus lifts are also only used on the upper jawbone, so if the bone damage is to the lower jaw, then bone grafting will be recommended instead.
Undergoing A Sinus Lift
Once a sinus lift is recommended, Dr. Ghanavati will refer the patient for an appointment with a highly-skilled, well-trained specialist whose outstanding reputation within the dental community has earned the respect and trust of Dr. Ghanavati, usually either an oral surgeon or a periodontist. Healthy sinuses are important when undergoing a sinus lift, so if a patient has a cold and a stuffed-up nose, they will likely be advised to reschedule the appointment.
When the patient arrives for the procedure, they will be given anesthesia to minimize the pain. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, the oral surgeon or periodontist will uncover and expose the bone. The sinus membrane will then be raised upward and the new bone will be placed where needed. The result of this will be to raise the sinus cavity and replace the missing or damaged bone.
Once the bone is in place, the gum tissue will be re-positioned over the bone and sutured closed. After a brief recovery time in the office, the patient will typically be sent home with instructions on how to care for their mouth until the sutures (stitches) dissolve and what foods should be avoided during recovery. The patient generally will also be given instructions on what to watch out for and told to call the office if they experience any troubling symptoms.
Recovering From A Sinus Lift
There are two stages to recovery from a sinus lift. The first stage is immediate recovery. This involves waiting for the sutures (stitches) to dissolve and any swelling and discomfort to vanish. It is not uncommon for patients to experience nosebleeds after undergoing a sinus lift. Patients are also given a saline spray to keep the nose from drying up and to prevent blockage, as nose blowing can cause damage to the sutures (stitches). Patients may, at the discretion of the oral surgeon or periodontist, be given pain medicine. In most cases, it takes a patient 7 to 10 days to start feeling back to normal after a sinus lift.
The second stage of recovery will take much longer. Once the initial swelling and discomfort have disappeared, the jawbone still needs time to heal and for the new bone to settle into place and to fully integrate with the patient’s existing bone. This often takes several months. The oral surgeon or periodontist will generally schedule a follow-up appointment with the patient approximately six to nine months after the procedure to assess how the jaw is healing. The staff at Burke Dental will receive a report from the oral surgeon or periodontist informing them of the procedure and results. Once the jaw has sufficiently healed, another appointment will be booked to go forward with the original procedure.
The staff at Burke Dental will receive a report from the oral surgeon or periodontist informing them of the procedure and results. Once the jaw has sufficiently healed, another appointment will be booked to go forward with the original procedure.
Talk to An Expert! Contact Burke Dental Today!
Patients in Burke, Virginia who have missing teeth or gum damage and would like to deal with these issues should consult the team at Burke Dental. It is easy to put off a dentist visit out of fear, but the longer a visit is put off, the worse the problem gets.
Not all patients need sinus lifts, but the longer a patient puts off dealing with missing teeth, the more likely it is that they will need a sinus lift. This is why it is important to consult a professional, like the staff at Burke Dental. You can book an appointment online or by calling (703) 940-9410.